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PHRASEOLOGICAL NOTES 



ON THE HEBREW TEXT OF 



THE BOOK OF GENESIS 



BY 



THEODORE PRESTON, M.A, 

FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. 



CAMBRIDGE : JOHN DEIGHTON. 
LONDON: JOHN W. PARKER AND SON. 

1853. 



<& 



<\4 



Prints at tfje ^nitattg ^xm* 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



THE object of the following pages is to explain and 
illustrate the most remarkable peculiarities and 
anomalies of matter, style, and phrase, in the book of 
Genesis. Wherever the difficulty of the text is such 
as to have given rise to various interpretations, I have 
stated and discussed them, but have frequently abstained 
from attempting to decide between them. By so doing, 
and by omitting the passages where the construction is 
regular and the signification clear, this work has been 
compressed within narrower limits than several that 
have recently appeared on the same subject. 

The Hebrew text may be procured separately 
at so small a cost, that it did not seem necessary to 
reprint it, especially as the quotations from it will enable 
the reader to dispense with constant reference to the 
original. In these the accents are omitted except where 
a difference of interpretation depends upon them. 

The commentators to whom I have most frequently 
referred are Rashi, Aben Ezra, and the author of the 
Miclal Yopi, among the Rabbins, together with Bux- 
torf and Gesenius. I have endeavoured to present the 
results of their investigations in a convenient form, 
combined with occasional remarks of my own. 



GENESIS 



CHAPTER I. 

(1) rw*n2L The word JTttfN"} not being 
here preceded by the definite article n (which 
would be implied by the punctuation /WNni 
see Gen. xiii. 4, and Deut. xiii. 9, where nT)tt?N"U 

T • T 

means ' formerly,' ' at first'), we may supply after 
it an ellipsis of p-?n - time,' in construction with 
it, and translate JW*na 'In the beginning of 
time/ Compare JYnriN JWinD T|D (Isai. xlvi. 
10,) where we may supply ~)2i after each of 
the latter words, and translate the phrase, 
'Shewing the end [of a thing] from the be- 
ginning [of it]' ; since in Eccles. vii. 8, we find 
irwaiD -inn rmna nib Or, n^^-i may be 

t t • -: - ... t/ 

taken to mean 'former time,' 'ancient time,' 
without any ellipsis. Compare Job viii. 7, and 
Job xiii. 12, where /W*n and rvnnK mean re- 
spectively 'the former' and 'the latter part of 
life,' as in Numb, xxiii. 10, *rto3 WnrjN Wfo 'let 
my latter time [of life] be like his.' This render- 

A 



2 CHAPTER I. (i). 

ing is supported by the Targum of Onkelos, viz. 
VP123. ' In ancient time,' ' of yore.' The Jeru- 
salem Targum allegorizes it by the paraphrase 
HDprn 'In (or 'by') wisdom;' which was pro- 
bably suggested by the phrases in the Proverbs, 
"b-H rvwan HDDn and HDDn rTONn (Comp. Psal. 

. _ ... t;t t:t ... \ x 

cxi. 10, "m n»^ HDDn n^»i). Some Rabbins 

t - : • t : t 

have fancifully translated it, ' out of original 
matter,' taking the preposition 2 as it is used in 
the phrases iro and ^Dpl when anything is said 
to be made out of the material silver or gold. 
But this rendering is inadmissible, because $12, 
would then have been employed in the same 
sense as nr> which is not usual. 

-T 

*03, according to the Rabbins and most in- 
terpreters, means, ' to create out of nothing ;' but 
according to others, 'to form what is new out 
materials already existing or not.' The latter 
interpretation seems preferable in Psal. li. 12, 
•6"m:i "linD 2b and Numb. xvi. 30, nwi2 DN 

t : t ' t • : 

Tim *ro* 

t : t : • 

D^rfrtt This name of the Almighty, the 
plural of rri^ (from nbx 'coluit' 'adoravit'), pro- 
bably 'a plural of excellence or majesty,' is here 
as usual construed with a verb singular, though 
in several passages, e. g. Gen. xx. 13, xxxv. 7, 



CHAPTER I. (i), (2). 3 

Psal. lviii. 12, &c., it is construed with a verb 
plural. It is the only name of God that occurs 
in this chapter, and in certain other parts of 
this book, which have been supposed to be quoted 
by Moses verbatim from previous records relating 
to the general history of mankind ; those passages 
being regarded as more strictly his own composi- 
tion in which the name rriJT constantly occurs (e.g. • 
the 2nd chapter, &c.) The strongest evidence 
for such a combination of two distinct records 
(Mosaic and Prsemosaic) in the book of Genesis is 
found in the account of the deluge, where, in the 
part wherein the name D'rfrtf alone occurs, Noah 
is commanded to take two and two of all animals 
without reference to their subsequent distinction 
into clean and unclean, whereas in the part 
wherein the name TV\7V, is used, he is directed to 
take seven of the clean and two of the unclean ; 
and then again in a subsequent portion, wherein 
the sole use of the name D^rf?H is resumed, Noah 
receives permission to use all animals and birds 
alike as food, without the ceremonial distinction 
referred to. See the note on Gen. iv. 26. 

(2) :irbl ir\T\ In both these verbal nouns 
the 1 is a substitute for the n of the radicals 
nnn and nru There is evidently a paronomasia 

A2 



4 CHAPTER I. (2). 

in the juxtaposition of these two words of similar 
sound, which seems intended to express uni- 
formity of desolation and vacuity, as in Jer. iv. 
23, *rbi sirirrnarn parma w*n It is well ren- 

7 T " • : ' VT T V • • T 

dered by the similar alliteration in the Arabic 
version <ulU- &jU- Compare the alliterations, 
*na rvwvra (Gen. i. 1), naw ISV rsiM (Gen. xviii. 

t t •• : x "'.'■• r t't • t : x 

, 27), and igjgj W (Psal. xxvii. 7). Some Rab- 
bins say that V72J irtJi mean respectively ' matter' 
(JAjJ), and 'form' (elSos), which at first (in chaos) 
were separate, and by combining which together 
God made the world. 

nsmp ttrfa* nn This is rendered by the 
Targumist N>p *s» ^ arittbp * D75 )p Kirn 'a 
wind from before God was blowing upon the 
surface of the waters.' WTibf* nn may also mean 
'a very powerful wind;' the words D^N and 
niiT being frequently placed in construction 
with Hebrew nouns to express merely a super- 
lative ; e. g. D»pfrf* Wpl ' a mighty prince,' Gen. 
xxiii. 6 ; D*rfo? ^H <a strong panic,' Gen. xxxv. 
5 ; 0>rfr» !^r&3 ' violent struggles,' Gen. xxx. 8 ; 
nfrp r\1Tni} 'a ^ deep sleep,' 1 Sam. xxvi. 12; 
D^rfrtfJ? rfriS Ty ' an exceeding great city,' Jonah 
iii. 3; bx nnn ' great mountains ;' b$ TW 6 great 
cedars.' Compare Gen. x. 8, "rr vsb TX "133 ' a 



CHAPTER I. (2H5). 5 

very mighty huntsman'; the Greek do-Telos t$ 

Oew ' exceedingly comely,' Acts vii. 20 ; and the 

Arabic phrase cJ,j <d) 

rarnp ' hovering like a bird about to swoop,' 

or 'fluttering over a nest;' compare S)rrv v6rirVv 

(Deut. xxxii. 11), 'fluttereth over her young.' 

Others render the phrase ' The Spirit of God was 

brooding over the waters.' So Milton : 

" Thou from the first 
Wast present; and with brooding wings outspread 
Dovelike, sat'st brooding o'er the vast abyss." 

Compare however "ttl H?»7^9? ™ n Q ^$ ^Vl 
(Gen. viii. 1), 'God caused a wind to pass over 
the earth, so that the waters abated. 5 Perhaps 
the 'wind of God' which 'moved on the face of 
the deep' was sent to dry it up, and leave habit- 
able ground. 

(3) "Tin N'T The apocopated form of JTIT is 
used here as in many cases where ' command, ex- 
hortation, or prohibition' are expressed. Compare 
hgb tfrfrtf AS; (Gen. ix. 27), 'May God enlarge 
Japheth.' There seems to be an allusion to this 
verse in Psal. xxxiii. 9, W "IDK mn *3 and in 
Psal. civ. 20, rhb w ywrrrwift 

' t:t ••''.' v t 

(5) H~)p ' nomen assignavit.' 

The second clause of this verse should be ren- 



6 CHAPTER I. (5). 

dered, 'Thus there was evening and there was 
morning — a first day;' literally, 'day One,' or 
'One day;' the cardinal being used instead of the 
ordinal number, because, as the Rabbins say, 
'there had not yet been a second day, and the word 
p'ttW'i "first" is used only with reference to a se- 
cond, whereas the cardinal number "one'' is em- 
ployed when there is no second;' as we should 
say, 'there is one sun;' 'one God.' Compare 
however Wihb TIN (Gen. viii. 13), 'Day one of 
the month,' i. e. 6 the first day of the month,' and 
riwypi ina ttaarrng (Numb, xxviii. 4), ' The first 
lamb shalt thou sacrifice,' where ' the first' was 
not the only one. 

The meaning of the recurring phrase, ' Thus 
there was evening and there was morning, &c.' 
is, that ' each of the days of creation was a com- 
plete day, such as days are now in the world,' and 
seems expressly to exclude the idea that they 
differed from ordinary days. The 'evening' is 
mentioned first, because darkness preceded light 
(which was created) in order of existence, and 
also because the Hebrews reckon day from sunset 
to sunset. Compare, ' At evening and at morning 
and at noon will I meditate' (Psal. lv. 17), where 



CHAPTER I. (5), (6). 7 

the three times are mentioned in their order in 
the Jewish day ; and the Greek word vvxPfoepov 
' a night and day ;' i. e. twenty-four hours. 

(6) JPjT] 'a firm expanse;' LXX. arepecofxa; 
from vpn 'tundendo expansit.' Compare ygh 
JTN^l yn^n (Isai. xlii. 5), 'spreading out firmly 
the earth and its products ;' and by H**£ ^^ 
D^Ji (Psal. cxxxvi. 6), 'spreading out the earth 
firmly above the waters.' Similarly, Homer calls 
the sky aifypeos, Od. xv. 329, and 7ro\^a\«:os, 11. 
v. 504. 

The Rabbins say that the word up is in the 
dual form with reference to the waters above and 
the waters below the firmament; and that the 
word UttD 'heavens' is a contraction of UD Dttf 

• - T • - T 

' there waters are ;' one of the two letters D being 
omitted, as one of the two letters 2 is omitted in 
the name byzrv from by2 IT in the name of 
Gideon. But the true derivation of UDW is doubt- 
less from an old word signifying ' elevation,' like 
that of the corresponding Arabic Aa~> and it is 
probable that the identity with the dual of 
the forms of up and up® is merely accidental. 
Observe, that the two corresponding forms in 
Arabic, *L and ^U-s have the same mutual simi- 
larity of termination. 



8 CHAPTER I. (8)-(n). 

(8) *ottf 'second' is a contraction of wjtf 
which is formed by the addition of Yod (as in the 
ordinal numbers •yil and W*bw) to the cardinal 
number ^W 'two' (see ver. 16 of this chap.); and 
of which the plural Mttf occurs in Gen. vi. 16, and 
Numb. ii. 16. The Yod of *yy is a substitute for 
the permutative n in the verb njttf 'iteravit,' 
from which it is derived. 

(11) The verb Hiphil Nghfi when followed 
by and governing NttHr (its verbal noun) is equiva- 
lent to axifl as appears from the latter being 
used instead of it in the corresponding clause of 
the next verse, which records the fulfilment of the 
command contained in this, viz. xwi yiNn wift) 

V V ' VT T 

'So the earth brought forth grass.' Similarly, 
jni jrntD is equivalent to jnj *«p'D 

The author of the Miclal Yopi says, that NUH 
is the general name for plants in their first stage, 
when just sprouting from the ground ; and 2by 
for the same in more mature growth ; and that 
accordingly a verb Hiphil, signifying the act of 
producing plants, is formed from Nttfa viz. XWy* 
(like irp^ from TO*), whereas there is no such 
derivative from yvy He further remarks, that 
the ellipses may be supplied thus : ' Let the earth 
produce sprouts (nuh) [that may become when 



CHAPTER I. (n) (20). 9 

grown] plants (l*W), and [finally] yield seed, [and 
let it also produce] fruit-trees whose seed is in 
themselves, yielding fruit after their kinds.' 

'Whose seed is in themselves,' means 'con- 
taining in themselves a provision for the continu- 
ance of their respective species.' ^tiTDb ' after its 
kind,' means that the seed of each tree had the pro- 
perty of producing a tree of the very same kind. 

(14) nrriND NT Observe that the forms of 
the verb .Til when construed with nouns are not 

TT 

subject to the ordinary rules of agreement of 
gender and number. Here /ThltfD is a plural 
feminine, and TV a singular masculine. Compare 

h^ini rnjn m? *a (Deut. xxii. 23), and mjn jrahHi 

DD^ rniT (Gen. xlvii. 24). It has also been sug- 
gested, with some probability, that VP is to be 
taken as an impersonal both here and in ver. 3 of 
this chapter, like )T\\ in Gen. xxxviii. 28. 

The clause UH$cfa nh'xb wrn is probably a 
hendiadyoin, instead of ' let them be for signs of 
stated times and days and years.' Compare Psal. 
civ. 19, DnyJEfr rrr n'W ' He made the moon for 
stated times.' rbwng is the construct form of 
nhwDD ' dominion.' 

T T : V 

(20) The verb yw combines the idea of 
'creeping motion' (which the Targumist has pre- 

A5 



10 CHAPTER I. (20) -(26). 

served in his rendering of it ttirn) with that of 
'producing in swarms.' It is applied to the Nile 
as swarming with frogs, in Exodus. The phrase 

yjtt? vfjw nysn is analogous to as^r 8v~}F) n?»7 

above, and may be rendered ' let the waters pro- 
duce a moving swarm (of living creatures),' or, 
'let the waters swarm with a swarm of moving 
living creatures.' 

(21) It has been observed by the Rabbins on 
the passage, ' So God created all moving living crea- 
tures which the waters produced in swarms,' &c, 
that ' the waters did not possess sufficient vivifying 
energy to obey the divine command, " to swarm 
with living creatures," without a direct creative 
effort on the part of the Almighty assisting them 
thereto ; and that it was by help of this divine 
creative effort that they were enabled to produce 
the living creatures.' 

(24) The J) in the word !)jrn is paragogic like 
that in ijn m qj&a (Numb. xxiv. 3), and in 
&£> ^yych (Psal. cxiv. 8), where as well as in Psal. 
civ. 11, 20, and Psal. Lxxix. 2 (where the word 
tfvn also occurs), the noun to which it is attached 
is in construction with that which follows it. 

(26) tocfato ni?)J3 Some commentators sup- 
pose this plural to be that of majesty (assumed by 



CHAPTER I. (26). — II. (2). 11 

royal persons in speaking of themselves) ; others 
say that it is customary in speaking of oneself in 
Hebrew to use the plural. Compare Gen. xi. 7, 
where God says rfn? ron 'Come, let us go down.' 
(27) N^l?} It has been well observed by 
the Rabbins that the verb tf"D and not 12P is 

TT -T 

here used, because the soul of man, and not his 
body, is spoken of as made in the image of God ; 
and the verb "fip is used only of the formation of 
material substances, and cannot be applied to 
the soul. (See Gen. ii. 7.) The verb riwy might 
be employed in either case. 



CHAPTER II. 

The first three verses of this chapter are the 
sequel of chapter i, and might very properly have 
formed part of it. The first 1 is to be translated 
'So,' or 'Thus,' (like the Arabic i_j), as is fre- 
quently the case with the 1 conversive. 

At the fourth verse begins a fresh account of 
the creation, after the pause 2. 

(2) b2\ is the apocopated form of nby the 
Pihel of rfo 

T T 

iFDNtop is formed by the addition of the pro- 
nominal affix to the noun r\2tibp (not roate), 



12 CHAPTER II. (2)- (4). 

which is of the same form as rnEttfp the position 
of the first segol being altered on account of 
the N which when medial or final always takes 
the Sheva m 

(3) r\)byb &tpB wn|rwg Compare ^un 
r\)byb (Joel. ii. 20), ' Fastuosus erat agendo,' i. e. 
'egit fastuose;' ni'tfj; rbsvft (Gen. xxxi.28), 'Stul- 
tus eras agendo,' i. e. ' egisti stulte ;' r\)b%b Mptey 
(Eccles. ii. 11), 'Laboriosus eram agendo,' i.e. 
'egi laboriose.' In all these phrases there is an 
idiomatic inversion of the two verbs, the first of 
them being a qualification (expressed in other 
languages by an adverb) of the action implied by 
the second. Accordingly the above phrase * quae 
creavit Deus faciendo' is equivalent to ' quse fecit 
Deus creando/ i. e. ' which God performed by an 
exercise of creative power ;' and the whole clause 
may be translated, 'because therein God rested 
from all his work of creation? or (literally) 'from 
all his work which he had performed creatively? 

(4) nilbiF) n>># 'Hse sunt origines.' 'These 
are the annals of the origin of the heavens and 
earth in their being created.' Jnr6in means pri- 
marily, ' records of birth, or origin ;' ' family his- 
tory,' as in Gen. v. 1, and vi. 9 ; and secondarily, 
' annals,' or ' history.' 



CHAPTER II. (4). 13 

The first clause of this verse is the title or 
heading of the following record of the creation 
of man, which has been supposed by many com- 
mentators to be distinct from that of the first 
chapter, in which God is called D">rft>N and not, 
as in this, D^rfrtf m'iT See the note on Gen. i. 1. 

X~)2n is the infinitive Niphal. 

The second clause of this verse, 'In the 
day that the Lord God made heaven and earth,' 
is to be connected with the following verse as 
forming part of the same sentence with it, the 1 in 
bh] being merely a particle of transition, (like the 
Arabic uJ) ; and if we adopt the ingenious sug- 
gestion of Rabbi Saadiah Gaon, and supply &> 
again after the first 1 of verse (6), the whole 
passage may be translated thus, ' In the day that 
the Lord God made heaven and earth, there was 
not as yet (Dhb) any plant of the field in the 
ground, nor as yet was any herb of the field 
growing ; for the Lord had not caused it to rain 
upon the earth, nor was there any man to till 
the ground, nor any mist to rise from the earth 
and water the whole face of the ground.' The 
sacred historian then proceeds to state that 
God first created man, and then planted a 
garden for him to till and inhabit; whereas 



14 CHAPTER II. (4)-(8). 

before there had been no plants or trees in that 
place. (Observe that the apparent discrepancy 
of this account with that in the first chapter is 
unimportant, since the one belongs to a record of 
the general history of the creation of the world, 
and the other to a more particular account of 
the placing of Adam in paradise, and the plant- 
ing of the garden of Eden for his habitation.) 
The words of Rabbi Saadiah Gaon are as follows, 
rf$w t» vb\ jnrcp din vb ubyn rtonra rrn vb 
ptno ten "rfl'pn am *h» 

The repetition of iib thus required after ) in 
T**1 resembles the repetition of bx required in 
Psal. xxxviii. ^Dyi ^npni^i W31J1 SfSXjJsrtN and 
that of *& required in Psal. i. 5, 'The wicked 
shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners 
(O^NNDrn) in the congregation of the just/ and in 
Psal. ix. 19, 'The poor shall not alway be for- 
gotten; nor the hope of the meek perish 
("nan on?jr rnpn) for ever ;' &c. &c. 

That uy$ means 'not yet,' appears from 
1 Sam. iii. 7, 'Samuel did not yet (tng) know 
the Lord ;' Gen. xix. 4, ' They had not yet {uyg) 
gone to rest ;' and Gen. xxiv. 15. 

(8) D7j3D ' ab oriente/ ' ex orientali parte,' 
'eastwards.' Compare Gen. iii. 24, and xiii. 



CHAPTER II. (8)-(p). 15 

11, where Lot is said to journey 'eastward' Dipp. 
The East was called Dip. as being ' en face' to one 
looking at the rising sun; just as the West is 
called "Tin** 'behind,' and the names of North 
and South express ' the left,' and ' the right,' to 
which they would respectively correspond to a 
person so situated. That the sacred writer should 
describe the garden of Eden as eastward, ex- 
cludes the supposition of some commentators, 
that by one of the four rivers described as water- 
ing it, the Nile was intended, since neither Moses 
nor any other Hebrew can have been ignorant of 
the position of that river, which must necessarily 
have been to westward of him. 

(9) jni 2iB njnn VV ' The tree of knowing 
good and evil,' i. e. 'of distinguishing between 
right and wrong;' (see Isai. vii. 15, 16, 'Before 
the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose 
the good,' i.e. shall arrive at the age when it 
shall be capable of distinguishing between right 
and wrong). It was most probably so called as 
being the only appointed test of Adam's faculty 
of distinguishing between right and wrong. That 
he was originally endowed with such a faculty is 
implied by the negative command imposed upon 
him; nor can it be supposed that it was only 



16 CHAPTER II. (9). 

after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit, that he 
became possessed of that knowledge of the differ- 
ence between right and wrong, which was neces- 
sary to preserve him from disobedience. The 
22nd verse of the next chapter has been impro* 
perly quoted to prove that Adam was made like 
God in his power of choosing between right and 
wrong by eating of the forbidden fruit. It 
should rather be translated (vid. not. ad locum), 
' The man is (i. e. was from the first) like one of 
us, to choose between good and evil; but now 
[that he has chosen the evil] it is to be feared 
lest (i. e. it must not be permitted that) he eat 
also of the tree of life.' 

The faculty of distinguishing between good 
and evil (i. e. between right and wrong) is always 
spoken of in scripture as a desirable power. 
Solomon prays to be endowed with it (1 Kings iii. 
9) ; and elsewhere it is spoken of as an attribute 
of the angels, and of God himself, as in the next 
chapter. It is therefore perfectly erroneous to 
suppose that the name jni lito JT5H0 VV nas a 
sinister signification, or that the forbidden tree 
was so called, because Adam by eating of its 
fruit would acquire the knowledge of evil in 
addition to that of good which he already pos- 



CHAPTER II. (9), (11). 17 

sessed. The suggestion of the Serpent, that the 
fruit of this tree had the property of increasing 
the power of the mind and making men like God 
in intelligence, was purely fallacious, though it 
answered the tempter's purpose in persuading 
the woman to eat what she believed him would 
'make her wise,' beside being pleasant to the 
eye and to the taste. 

The Rabbins fancifully connect the use of fi^n 
in the name of the forbidden tree with the words 
mrrm yT mam (Gen. iv. 1 ), and assert that the 

t t v ^ —r tt t : N ' 7 

effect of the fruit of this tree was to produce or 
increase carnal desire. 

(11) If this geographical description justifies 
the attempt to identify the four rivers which 
parted from the fountain-head of Eden, ]i^£) 
may correspond with the Phasis, and 'Havilah 
where there is gold' with Colchis, 'the land of 
the golden fleece,' near the Caspian Sea, which 
the Russians call Chwalinskoje More, from an 
ancient people, Chwalissis; piT| may corre- 
spond with the Oxus (Cush being used in its 
widest sense, see Gen. x. 7, 8), bgm with 
the Digeleh, or Tigris (east of Assyria), and 
J"H2 with the Euphrates. The sources of these 
four rivers are not too distant from one ano- 



18 CJBAPTER II. (n)-(i9). 

ther to be brought within a district of some 
extent ; but that of the Nile is totally removed 
from them. The mystical interpreters (e. g. 
Philo Judseus) treat the four rivers as senigma- 
tical of four cardinal virtues. 

(12) rfmn 'Bdellium;' a yellow gum, like 
amber, exuding from trees principally in Bac- 
triana, which used to be strung in round lumps 
for necklaces, and to which manna is compared 
in colour and appearance in Numb. xi. 6. The 
stone vnb is probably the same as the Arabic 
jjb i. e. onyx, or crystal. It was one of the 
stones set in the high-priest's breastplate; see 
Exod. xxv. 7. 

(18) i^33 "tfV ' a help corresponding to him,' 
i. e. suited to him from similarity of nature; 
LXX. fiorjOos o/xo7o9 aura, ' on an equality with 
him in tastes and understanding.' Compare Psal. 
x. 5, ' Thy judgments are too high to be on a 
level with him,' HJ2D Di")D i.e. 'the dispensa- 
tions of thy providence are too high and holy for 
his grovelling mind to compreheud or admire.' 
Rosenmuller's version, ' secundum anteriora (i. e. 
to. aiSola) ejus,' is very unlikely. 

(19) (20) The verbs in these verses are to be 
construed as in the pluperfect ; the passage being 



CHAPTER II. (21H23). 19 

introduced to explain the solitude of Adam, and 
his necessity of a companion suited to him. 

(21) Tinjfet 'his sides,' not 'his ribs.' Compare 
pitfftrry^ ' a side of the tabernacle' (Exod. xxvi. 
26); and -)nn yh* ' The side of the mount' (2 Sam. 
xvi. 13). 

The Rabbins say that Adam was created at 
first like a Janus, with a male and a female body 
united in one, which were separated during the 
deep sleep. 

(23) ITO8 is here derived from Wt* The 
Yod is dropped, and substitution made for it by 
the insertion of a dagesh in the w in order that 
the word may be distinguished from JTO*N 'her 
husband,' (because the Mappik in the pronominal 
affix n is sometimes dropped for euphony) ; see 
Gen. xvi. 3, where both these words occur, and 
nttftf means 'wife,' as 'femme' does in French. 

T • 

It may also be a contraction for nttfatf from ttftitf 
'homo.' 

DV3H 'this time,' 'at last,' ' endlich einmal.' 
Every other time when the animals had been 
brought to him to name, he found them un- 
suitable to bear him company, but this time, 
when the woman was brought, he was satisfied. 



20 CHAPTER II. (23) — III. (1). 

Compare Gen. xxix. 34, 'Now at length, (at last), 
my husband will love me' oyi|n nr\y 

(24) )5"^y This inference from the primae- 
val marriage of Adam and Eve is to be discon- 
nected from the words of Adam in ver. 23, as 
appears from St Matt. xix. 5, where it is quoted 
expressly as spoken by the Creator. Moses, 
speaking by inspiration in the name of God, thus 
enunciates the law of matrimony; or it may be that 
Adam was inspired for once to utter these words. 

(25) D>£srfe is the plural of DTJJJ ' naked;' 
whereas Dny ' subtle ' makes in the plural D^pnjr 
without dagesh in the D 



CHAPTER III. 

(1) Dn^ 'subtle.' There seems to be an al- 
literation between this word and D^nj/ ' naked,' 
which occurs in the last verse of the preceding 
chapter. 

-*3 t)8 This has been rendered in various 
ways. The most simple is to supply an interro- 
gative n before it, and to translate it, ' Is it true 
that [God has said]?' (Compare the use of *\xn 



CHAPTER III. (i). 21 

in Gen. xviii. 23, 24, 'Wilt thou really,' &c). 
But there are no other instances of the use of 
»3 *)8 in this sense. Its ordinary signification is 
)5^"^b i. e. 'How much more,' or 'How much 
less,' with reference to something that has gone 
before; (see 1 Sam. xiv. 30, 2 Sam. iv. 11 ; Job 
xv. 16; 1 Kings viii. 27; Job iv. 19.) If, as 
the Rabbins take it, this be its meaning in the 
present passage, we must supply before it an ex- 
pression to which it may refer, such as '[God 
loves you not, seeing he has withheld from you 
such and such things],' and how much more when 
he has said, ' Ye shall not eat of every tree of the 
garden.' Such ellipses occur occasionally; e.g. 
where the spies say to Joshua, ' For (">2) the Lord 
hath given us all this land,' something must be 
supplied before xp since otherwise it has nothing 
to refer to, and the sentence begins abruptly. 
Another sense in which ^ *)$ sometimes occurs 
is ' even though/ (e. g. in Ezek. xiv. 21, and Neh. 
ix. 18); and if we take this to be its signification 
in the present passage, we need not supply an 
ellipsis before it, but suppose that Eve interrupts 
the words of the tempter, in order to correct 
his statement before he proceeds further; and 
translate thus : ' The serpent said to the woman, 



22 CHAPTER III. (i)-(6). 

"Even though God has said to you, Ye shall not 
eat of every tree of the garden" — (then the woman 
interrupts him, and says,) "Of the fruit of the 
trees of the garden we may eat ; but of the fruit 
[only] of the tree which is in the midst of the 
garden, God has said, Ye shall not eat it, nor 
touch it, lest ye die ;" (and then the serpent con- 
cludes the sentence he had begun) — "ye shall not 
surely die ; for God knows that, as soon as ye eat 
of it, your eyes will be opened," ' &c. 

(6) ^3frr6 ibn? is translated by some of 
the Rabbins, ' desirable to behold,' quoting from 
the Proverbs, iii. 4, lib bib) \h N&Eti and 1 Sam. 
xxv. 3, where ^OttfTQiD corresponds in meaning 
with n^D"ns*. in Gen. xii. 1.1. With this latter 
rendering the LXX. agree, translating the phrase 
wpalov tou Karauotjaai 9 and the Vulgate ' delectabi- 
lem aspectu.' It is supported by the circum- 
stance that in ch. ii. 9, where the accompanying 
phrase bz&zb ifa is actually repeated, the words 
nxnftb iDna * pleasant to behold,' seem to be 
used as identical with the present phrase. But 
the authorized version, 'to be desired for making 
one wise' (with which the Targum of Onkelos 
PP2L Nteripj^ J2np agrees), is quite consistent with 
the preceding verse, wherein the serpent asr 



CHAPTER III. (6)-(2o). 23 

sures the woman, that by eating of the fruit, they 
would have their understandings enlightened, and 
become as God, knowing good and evil, thus 
falsely suggesting that the tree was called 
jrn lib njttn yy as having the property of in- 
creasing the powers of the mind ; whereas, that 
name merely denoted that it was the appointed 
test of obedience to moral obligation. See the 
note on Gen. ii. 9. For other instances of ^IttWI 
in the sense ' intelligentem fecit,' see Pro v. xvi. 23 ; 
Psal. xxxii. 8 ; Dan. ix. 22. 

(8) ^bnr\D may refer either to 0*Ffrg or to 
hip, as in Jer. xlvi. 22, ^ tyroi PrWp 

The phrase DVn nn is the opposite of DW ah 
Gen. xviii. 1. It means 'the time of the evening 
breeze,' or ' the refreshing time of the day.' 

(14) 'Dust shalt thou eat all thy life,' i.e. 
' All thy life thou shalt live in degradation.' 
Compare Mic. vii. 17, 'They shall lick dust like 
serpents ;' and Isai. lxv. 25, ' Dust shall be the 
serpent's meat,' for6 12% ttfroi 

(16) ^Tirn }M$J? a hendiadyoin for 'the 
pain of thy conception;' 'thy pains of partu- 
rition.' 

(20) In the word nyn the 1 has been substi- 
tuted for the Yod, in order, as the Rabbins say, 



24 CHAPTER III. ( 2 o)-(22). 

to distinguish the name from jrn ' an animal/ of 
which the construct form is rvn 

(21) |rp This word closely resembles in 
sound and signification the Greek xItwv. 

(22) It has been already remarked (at Gen. 
ii. 10), that this verse ought to be translated, 'Lo, 
the man was (at first) like one of us (spiritual 
beings) [capable] to distinguish between right 
and wrong ; but now that he has chosen the evil, 
(and eaten of the forbidden fruit) it is to be feared 
lest (i. e. it is not to be permitted that) he put 
forth his hand and take of the tree of life too (as 
well as of the forbidden fruit) and eat and live for 
ever/ (Compare the prcegnans usus of D3 in Gen. 
vi. 4.) It cannot be meant that God pronounced 
Adam to have become more like himself (in whose 
image he was at first created with respect to his 
spiritual nature) by having disobeyed him and 
chosen the evil for the good ; still less that the 
fruit of the forbidden tree communicated to Adam 
the power of moral choice, which he already pos- 
sessed. The meaning of the divine words is, that 
' since man, who, like a spiritual being, had free 
choice, and the power of distinguishing between 
right and wrong, had chosen to disobey his Crea- 
tor, he must not be permitted to eat of the tree 



CHAPTER III. (22)-(2 4 ). 25 

of life, which he would do, as well as of the for- 
bidden tree, if left in the garden/ The adverb ]S 
is often used elliptically in the sense * it is to be 
feared lest / ' we must take care lest •/ ' it is to 
be prevented that ;' and it is prefixed to the ex- 
pression of anything to be deprecated, as in Gen. 
xxxi. 31, * For I said, [I am afraid] lest (]S) thou 
shouldst destroy thy children;' Gen. xxxviii. 11, 
' For he said, [It is to be feared] lest he too should 
die like his brother ;' Gen. xlii. 4, ' For he said, [I 
must take care] lest some evil befal him ;' Psal. 
xxxviii. 17, 'For he said, [I am afraid] lest he re- 
joice over me/ The Rabbins say that ]3 in these 
places, is an interjection expressing depreca- 
tion. 

(23) The 1 at the beginning of this verse is 
the same as the Arabic <_} 'So,' 'Therefore.' 

We have here the Pihel form of rbw with 

- T 

the signification 'ejecit/ whereas the Kal of the 
same verb means simply 'misit/ The Pihel of 
transitive verbs is frequently ' intensive/ i. e. ex- 
presses the action of the same verbs in Kal with 
greater energy. 

(24) )i? tnjpO may mean ' eastward with re- 
spect to the garden' (vid. Gen. ii. 8), or simply 
'in front of the garden/ i. e. 'at its entrance/ 

B 



26 CHAPTER III. (24). 

Clip This is the first mention of those mysti- 
cal beings, the Cherubim, whose existence and 
attributes are here, as elsewhere, assumed to be 
known to the reader. They seem to have been 
represented by Hebrew sculptors as a mixed ani- 
mal, like the Egyptian Sphinx, or the Assyrian 
winged bullock with human head, which, like them, 
appear as guards at the entrance of temples. 

Some derive mi from llll 'jumentum,' by 
the transposition of the first two letters, an idea 
suggested by Psal. xviii. 10, 'He rode on the 
cherub/ Others, with little probability, think it 
to be the same as mj3 ' propinquus,' because the 
cherubs are represented as in near attendance on 
the Deity. In Ezek. i. 10, litti 'an ox/ is used 
as synonymous with mi in Ezek. x. 14; whence 
it has been suggested, that the word may be de- 
rived from the Chaldee 111 ' aravit/ The Greek 

- T 

word ypyxf/, and the English 'griffin,' the Persian 
verb J&Z (to seize), and the German greifen, are 
supposed to have a common origin with mi 
The Rabbins assert that the Cherubs here men- 
tioned were ' evil angels/ 

linn I0r6"n» 'the blade of a sword;' the 
blade being so called from its resemblance to ' a 
flame or tongue of fire/ 



CHAPTER III. (24) — IV. (1). 27 

rosnjnp ' versatilis,' 'glancing rapidly in va- 
rious directions, and constantly changing its po- 
sition like a flickering flame.' 



CHAPTER IV. 

(1) The name \<p_ is here derived from the 
verb mp which is thought by the Rabbins to be 
used here in the same sense as in the words 
yw D^DttJ rtrip (Gen. xiv. 20), ' The Former (i. e. 
Creator) of the, heavens and earth.' If this be 
the case, the clause mrp-JIN W& Wlp will mean 
'I have formed (i. e. I have produced from the 
womb) a man with [the help of] Jehovah ;' i. e. 
(as Rashi says), * This is the first human being 
not created immediately by God himself; and 
whereas we, his father and mother, were created 
by God alone, this child owes his existence in 
part to me his mother.' See the note on Gen. i. 
21, ' God created great whales which the waters 
lr ought forth' 

The use of DN in the sense 'with,' is not un- 
frequent ; comp. Gen. v. 21, ' Enoch walked with 
God' (PriPPTttj); Gen. xxi. 20, ' God was with the 
boy' (njnn-Ti£); Isai. xl. 14, ' With whom pn-ftx) 
took he counsel?' and Numb. xxv. 14, n^iprrm 

B2 



28 CHAPTEH IV. (i)-(7). 

The Targum of Onkelos, with which the au- 
thorized version agrees, renders the above phrase, 
'I have acquired a man from God,' (the vital prin- 
ciple in the child emanating directly from God). 

In Numb. xxiv. 22, and elsewhere, the name 
y<p_ denotes ' the nation of the Kenites.' 

Some commentators take rTiiTTiN to be in 
apposition with wx Examples of such a con- 
struction are not rare ; e. g. DttrfiN D^l rti "b)*) 
(Gen. vi. 10), and nvwrTW HtBW Hp*! (Gen. xxvi. 
34) ; but in the present passage it would be 
very far from conveying an obvious or pro- 
bable meaning ; and one of the two translations 
mentioned above is to be preferred. 

(3) D^} Vgb ' at the end of a considerable 
time;' 'after a long while.' yj?D occurs in the 
same sense, viz. ' at the end of,' in Gen. viii. 6 ; 
and &EP in the same sense, viz. ' a long time,' in 
Gen. xL 4. Compare Numb. ix. 22, where uw 
means ' a space of time longer than a month.' 

(4) The verb tiyb is here exactly equivalent 
to HJ2 in the passage D/TOKris ]BF) bx ' Respect 
not thou their offering;' Numb. xvi. 15. 

(7) n$b i^jftdi* tffrn The word r\xb is 
the infinitive Kal of neo and is to be taken sub- 

T T 

stantively, with an ellipsis of sppa after it, as op- 



CHAPTER IV. (7). 20 

posed to Tpja sfej in the preceding verse. (1) If 
^52 nxb be taken in its literal signification, the 
above clause may be translated, ' If thou doest 
right, is there not lifting up of the face for thee V 
i. e. the confidence of innocence instead of that 
falling of the countenance which indicates a sullen 
consciousness of being in the wrong. Compare Job 
xi. 15, map ?T03 Nttffi TK ' Then thou shalt lift up 
thy face from blame.' (2) If ?p:ja nxb be taken 
metaphorically, the clause may be translated, ' If 
thou doest right, is there not acceptance (or ' for- 
giveness') for thee?' Compare *33 ni&) ^K 'Per- 
haps he will accept me,' or 6 forgive me ;' (Gen. 
xxxii. 21), and Mai. i. 8, 9. (3) nvfb may be taken 
in the sense of Dtib nn* 1 in Gen. xlix. 4, viz. 
6 dignity, 1 ' precedence over thy younger brother.' 
The second clause of this verse is of very 
doubtful interpretation, but most probably con- 
tains an additional reason for Cain not to be 
sullen or desponding : ' And if thou doest not well,' 
n Won rmtn I'npwi ybw vnh r\mn nnzb i. e. 

t : • t - : 't : ■.....»•■ T - - •.« - 

either, ' A sin- offering lies at the door (ready to 
be offered as an atonement), and his [brotherly] 
affection will be [displayed] towards thee, and 
thou wilt rule over him [as an elder brother] ;' 
(comp. Hos. iv. 8, ' They (the priests) eat the sin- 



SO CHAPTER IV. (7), (8). 

offering (fiNJsn) of my people :') or, ' Sin is lying 
(crouching) in wait at [thy] door, and its desire 
is toward thee (i. e. it seeks to inveigle thee 
into guilt), and yet thou shalt (or, 'mayest') 
have the mastery over it' i. e. prevail over it by 
repentance and amendment'. (Observe that riN&n 
though feminine may be construed as mascu- 
line, if it be personified as ' lying in wait.') It 
does not seem likely that the phrase I'/p^fi ?p6tf 
which in chap. iii. 16, expresses ' the sexual desire,' 
should be used here to imply ' brotherly affection;' 
and the latter rendering is therefore to be pre- 
ferred. Others, again, translate XT) JlN^n Tinzb 
&a, ' Thou art lying at the door of sin ;' (i. e. thou 
art on the very verge and threshold of sin), 'and its 
desire is upon thee ; but still thou mayest prevail 
over it.' The Targum of Onkelos, (with which 
Rashi agrees), explains the verse thus, ' If thou 
doest right, shalt thou not be forgiven ? (or ' ac- 
cepted'), and if thou doest wrong, thy sin lies at 
the door of thy tomb to exact punishment of thee 
at the day of judgment if thou dost not repent; 
but (yet) if thou repentest, thou shalt be for- 
given' (or 'accepted'). 

(8) -bx iptf*] may mean here, 'he talked 
with,' a sense more usually expressed by vw ITP 



CHAPTER IV. (S)-(io). 31 

(the Pihel of nil); comp. Gen. xvii. 3, and xxiii. 
8. Other instances of this use of nDX occur ; e.g\ 
Gen. xxii. 7, TQK DmiK-^K pTDP nD^i c and Isaac 
talked with Abraham his father ;' Exod. xix. 25, 
grttf rvm ^Dm ' and Moses talked with them ;' 
Psal. iv. 5, DDll^l np» ' Talk to yourselves,' 
i. e. 6 meditate,' and 2 Chron. xxxii. 24. This use, 
however, is confessedly rare, and if we translate 
ION*] (as usual) ' he said,' we must supply after it 
some such ellipsis as ni&n nrfa ' Let us go into 
the field,' which, in the Samaritan Pentateuch, is 
inserted in the text, and which is adopted by 
the LXX, SieXOcojuev tk to 7re<W. The Rabbins 
say that vrw ^?rr^K |Jf) ^m means that Cain 
repeated to Abel what God had said to him, and 
that Abel, put off his guard by this show of con- 
fidence, walked out with him, and so gave him 
an opportunity of destroying him ; or that Cain 
addressed abusive language to him, which has 
been euphemistically omitted after 1D&) 

(10) tfpjjk TfTW W ^ip The Rabbins say 
that *p*T is in the plural here, because 'Cain 
inflicted many wounds on Abel, and that each 
wound called out for vengeance,' (compare Shak- 
speare, Jul. Cces. Act in. Sc. 2, * Every wound 
shall have a tongue') ; but it is most probably an 



32 CHAPTER IY. (io)-(i 3 > 

instance of the grammatical rule that ' when the 
subject is complex and one of the terms of it (the 
consequent) is plural, then the verb may be 
plural although the leading term in the subject 
(the antecedent) is singular;' e.g. D^H D'Hl'lil fiitfg 
(1 Sam.ii.4), and D^n tpti; ""^PP ^°^ xxxviii.21). 
Onkelos strangely renders the above phrase, * The 
voice of the children that should have been born 
to thy brother (if he had lived) is come before 
me from the ground ;' and yet in the next verse 
he translates the same words SpiTO *OT ' thy bro- 
ther's blood.' 

(11) nnixn )D in» In the 14th verse of 
the last chapter 1V1N followed by ]D means 'ac- 
cursed more than.' If the same rendering is to 
be adopted here, we must translate the present 
verse, ' And now thou art more accursed than the 
ground,' (which was already under the curse, 
'Cursed is the ground for thy sake'). It has 
however been usually rendered, ' Thou art cursed 
from the ground ;' i. e. ' as an outcast from it ;' 
or 'in respect of the ground (which when tilled 
shall not yield to thee its strength).' 

(13) K^p^^HI The Targum of Onkelos 
renders this ' My guilt then is too great for for- 
giveness.' Rashi supplies an interrogation and 



CHAPTER IV. (13M15). 33 

translates it, 'Is then my crime too great to for- 
give V Others again take ]iy to mean here ' the 
punishment of crime,' and construe the phrase, 
'My punishment is too great to bear ;' comparing 
Isai. v. 18, 'Woe to them who draw punishment 
(py) [on themselves], with the cords of wicked- 
ness/ i. e. 'by means of their wickedness/ 

(14) 'And from thy face shall I be hid/ 
Onkelos seems to have supplied an interrogation 
after this clause, so as to give it a negative mean- 
ing, in accordance with other passages of Scrip- 
ture ; for he renders it, ' and from thee it is not 
possible for me to be concealed/ 

(15) 'Whoever killeth Cain shall be punished 
(have vengeance exacted from him) seven- fold/ 
The Targum of Onkelos, and many of the Rab- 
bins, translate Dp? D?fiy2ttJ ' shall be punished 
(suffer vengeance) to seven generations,' i. e. ' till 
the seventh generation/ or ' in the seventh gene- 
ration' But DyTJptt is proved by Isai. xxx. 26 
to mean ' seven-fold / (see the note on ver. 23 of 
this chapter), and is exactly equivalent to yiw in 
Levit. xxvi. 28, ' I will punish you sevenfold for 
your sins.' 'Sevenfold' means here and else- 
where ' completely,' seven being regarded by the 
Hebrews as a perfect number. 

B5 



34 CHAPTER IV. (15X21). 

jritf w) m"»T b^J This passage has usually been 
rendered, ' The Lord set a mark upon Cain/ &c. 
It should rather be rendered ' The Lord showed 
(or 'gave') Cain a sign (to assure him) that none 
who met him should smite him.' The phrase 
Ditf UW means, ' to show or work a wonder or 
miracle in proof of some truth/ See Exod. x. 2, 
D2 \npitf -Rtffc* Wi JrriN ' my signs (miracles) that 
I exhibited (or ' wrought') among them ;' Psal. 
cv. 27 ; and Isai. lxvi. 1 9, D)X ora viban ' and I 
will work a miracle among them/ 

(16) Some have supposed the land TOH to 
be the same as ' Hind,' India ; but it is most pro- 
bably, as the Targum of Onkelos"' implies, a name 
formed from the circumstance that in that land 
(wherever it was) Cain was iy\ >tf 

(20) rqxM brik nan *aM 'The father' means 
here and in the next verse e Institutor/ p'nin as 
Onkelos renders it ; the same as in Gen. xlv. 8, 
tl'x^b nJJ ' a counsellor,' or ' suggestor/ Either 
we must supply before HJpD an ellipsis of the 
participle r%h ' feeding ;' or the 1 must be equiva- 
lent to DV ' with/ as in Exod. i. 4, Dn^Dl iTP! *]DVl 
' «w7& Joseph, who was in Egypt ;' since SttP can- 
not govern rujpiD 

(21) n^yi ^23 'stringed and wind instru- 
ments of music/ 



CHAPTER IV. (22), (23). 35 

(22) tthh" 1 ?! wdh ' exacuens (poliens) om- 
nem fabrum,' ' one who sharpened (i. e. instructed 
and trained) artificers in brass or iron/ So On- 
kelos renders it. Analogous to this sense of wvb 

*■ s s 

is the use of Jju in Arabic, ' polivit,' ' exaeuit,' 
as applied to ' the sharpening of the wits of other 
men by a person of superior intelligence and 
ability,' e. g. in the phrase J£SL\ "ilx* (See De 
Sacy's Hariri, page 656, 2nd edit). Others take 
tthh to mean 'an instrument' or 'tool,' not 'a 
workman,' which perhaps gives a more simple 
and obvious sense. With respect to the name 
Tubal Cain, it is remarkable that there is an 
Arabic word Jjy of Persian derivation, signifying 
* ore of brass or iron.' 

(23) This episode about Lamech is sup- 
posed from its style to be a passage quoted from 
some ancient song or poem. Perhaps it is intro- 
duced here in connection with the mention of 
iron instruments of war (of which Lamech's son 
Tubal Cain was the first inventor), and Lamech 
thus boasts to his wives of the impunity which he 
hoped to enjoy in case he should kill any one, 
on the ground that if Cain who was unarmed 
was to be avenged sevenfold (i. e. entirely), surely 
he who had the advantage of possessing iron 



36 CHAPTER IV. (23). 

weapons of defence, might hope to be avenged 
still more completely. He says, ' If I had slain a 
man for my hurt (for hurting me), or a young 
man for wounding me, if Cain is to be avenged 
sevenfold, then surely Lamech will be avenged 
seventy and sevenfold/ Observe that Dp which 
in ver. 15 signified 'shall have vengeance exacted 
from him/ i. e. ' be punished,' means here, ' shall 
have vengeance exacted for him ;' i. e. ' shall be 
avenged.' Another instance of the former use of 
this verb occurs in Exod. xxi. 20, Dp tib ' he shall 
not be punished.' 

The dual form DT^Dtt? which occurs also in 

• - t : • 

Psal. xii. 7, is exactly equivalent to yiw ' seven- 
fold' (in the following clause). That it means 
' sevenfold,' and not ' twice sevenfold,' appears 
from Isai. xxx. 26, ' The light of the sun shall be 
sevenfold (DViJDttf), as the light of seven days' 
(Buxtorf thinks that the dual form was adopted, 
in order to distinguish this word from DtyDtP 
' seventy,' which also means, as in the present 
passage, 'seventy-fold.') Similarly, D^jftTW in 
2 Sam. xii. 6, means ' fourfold.' 

If we suppose that Lamech had actually 
killed some one in a quarrel, and was thus con- 
soling himself with respect to the consequences 



CHAPTER IV. (23)- (26). 37 

of his act, we may render *3 'since' instead 
of 4 if; 

The Rabbins have invented a fanciful story 
out of Lamech's words in accordance with their 
own improbable interpretation of DVvy^ D ( T viz. 
'shall be punished in the seventh generation' 
They say that ' Lamech, being out hunting with 
his son Tubal Cain, perceived a movement in the 
bushes, and, discharging an arrow, unintentionally 
slew Cain who was lurking there, and then, finding 
his mistake, struck the boy on the head with his 
bow in a rage, and so killed both a man and a 
boy; and then consoled himself to his wives in 
the hope of impunity for a longer time than Cain's 
in these words : " If Cain was not to be punished 
till the seventh generation," (Lamech being the 
seventh in descent from Cain), " surely I shall not 
be punished till the seventy and seventh." The 
Rabbins add that y^S is a ' severe wound which 
would suffice to kill a man ;' but iTTinn ' a bruise, 
which would only kill a boy.' 

(25) ft"? i:nn *3 'Since Cain slew him.' 
JhJ "b'TW ^ ' Since God has given me seed.' 

(26) rn»T UW3. tihpb brnn ?a This is rendered 
by some (with *?rnn ' cseptum est'), ' Then it was 
begun (i. e. men began) to call upon the name of 



38 CHAPTER IV. (26). 

the Lord (Jehovah),' and by others (with bri^n 
6 profanatum est'), 'Then (at that time) men in- 
voked the name of Jehovah profanely,' i. e. ' they 
invoked idols by that sacred name.' Compare 
Gen. ix. 20, where the Hiphil of the same verb 
bnn is rendered by some 'csepit/ and by others 
(as Rashi), ' profanavit.' The latter translation 
is plausible, because the account of the birth of 
Seth follows that of Lamech ; and we know that 
the age of Lamech was a time of general wicked- 
ness, and shortly preceded the flood; but it is 
most probable that the birth of Seth took place 
six generations before Lamech, and shortly after 
the murder of Abel, and that there is a discon- 
tinuous resumption of the history of Adam, in 
verse 25 of this chapter, after the account of 
Cain's posterity, similar to that in the fourth 
verse of chap, ii., and in the first of chap. v. 

The former rendering of bll^n (the Hophal of 
bbn) is supported by the use of the Hiphil of the 
same verb (followed as here by b with an infini- 
tive) in the sense ' to begin,' in Gen. vi. 1, fyin *? 
T)b Dl^rr ' when men began to multiply,' and is 
approved by most commentators. If it be adopted, 
the passage will seem to imply that it was in the 
days of Seth and his family that the name Jeho- 



CHAPTER IV. (26). 39 

vah was first used in addressing the Almighty; 
and if it be objected that, in the 4th chapter of 
Exodus, God declares to Moses that ' by his name 
Jehovah he was not known to Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob/ we may reply that that sacred name 
may have fallen into disuse during the period of 
idolatry which preceded the call of Abraham, and 
so continued until God revealed it afresh to Mo- 
ses. That a period preceded the time of Moses, 
during which the name rnrp was not in use, seems 
to be indicated by the occurrence of those pas- 
sages in the book of Genesis in which God is 
called only D^rfrtf and which have been supposed, 
with some probability, to be quoted verbatim by 
Moses from an already existing record of the 
early history of mankind, and interwoven by him 
with what is more strictly his own narrative, 
wherein he employs the two names rrirP and 
D^rfrtf niiT See the note on Gen. i. 1. 

v: t : 

Observe that bmn (whatever be its signification 
here) is an unquestionable instance of an imper- 
sonal verb, the use of which form in the Shemitic 
languages has sometimes been called in question. 
Compare the use of |£P in Gen. xxxviii. 28, (where 
see the note), Job xxxvii. 10, and Pro v. xiii. 10, 
and that of VT> in Gen. i. 14. 



40 CHAPTER V. (i). 



CHAPTER V. 

From this point begins a third record of the 
origin and first generations of mankind. It ap- 
pears to be distinct from the first record (that 
contained in the first chapter, and the first three 
verses of the second), because it contains a fresh 
account of the creation of man, and the names 
rrirp and V>fb$ are used indiscriminately through- 
out it; and from the second record (extending 
from the 4th verse of chap, ii., to the end of chap, 
iv.), because it begins with a rehearsal of the origin 
of man and of the birth of Seth, with which the 
last chapter concludes. 

It is headed with a fresh title, similar to that 
at the beginning of the second record, viz., ' This 
is the book of the generations (or 'annals' nV'frta) 
of man.' From this point it is thought that Mo- 
ses has interwoven a previously existing record 
with what is more strictlv his own narrative. The 
present chapter records the first half of the 
twenty ancestors of the Hebrews in a direct un- 
broken line from Adam to Abraham (inclusive), 
viz., those from Adam to Noah, the rest being- 
recorded in a similar manner in the 11th chapter. 



CHAPTER V. (i)-(22). 41 

Their ages at the birth of each son who occupies 
the next place in the genealogy are stated in round 
numbers (without months), so that a perfectly 
accurate chronology cannot be derived from this 
source. It is remarkable that in the genealogy 
contained in the present chapter (that from Adam 
to Noah), each patriarch is stated to have lived 
from 60 to 180 years before the birth of the son 
who occupies the next place in the line ; whereas, 
in that of chap. xi. (from Noah to Abraham), the 
corresponding intervals are reduced to the ordi- 
nary limits of human life in the Hebrew text of 
the Pentateuch, but not in the Samaritan, which 
thus adds several centuries to the whole period 
between Noah and Abraham. 

(1) 'This is the book of the annals of the 
origin of man.' Comp. ch. ii. (4). 

D"JN is here to be rendered, not « Adam,' but 
' man,' ' mankind / for in the next verse we read 
'male and female created he them/ 

riwy r is here equivalent to ana (Gen. i. 27). 

(22) D^rf?N"TiK ^nni ' Enoch walked (i. e. 
lived) with God/ or rather, ' as in the presence of 
God/ With the use of na here, compare several 
passages quoted in the note at Gen. iv. 1. 
Probably it is used here elliptically for "gsrna 



42 CHAPTER V. (22H24). 

'in the presence of,' since in 1 Sam. ii. 11, we 
read that * Samuel ministered to the Lord in the 
presence of Eli' (^g ^SVW); and in verse 17 of 
the same chapter, the similar phrase occurs, 
nirT-^srm ' in the presence of the Lord/ Com- 
pare Gen. xvii. 1, 'Walk before me/ "02& ^nrin 
i. e. 'Live as in my presence, 5 and Gen. xlviii. 15, 
V)*h WQN JD^nrn nttW ' before whom my fathers 
walked,' i. e. ' as in whose presence my ancestors 
lived,' i. e. with a constant regard to Him. Com- 
pare the frequent use of irepnraTelv in the New 
Testament, in the sense 'to live/ 'to practise a 
certain habit of life;' e.g. Philip, iii. 17, 18, 

<JK07T6lTe TOV<$ OVT00 7T€pl7TaTOVVTaS Kad(*)<$ €^€T€ 

tvttov ijfxas ttoWol yap TTGpnraTovcri, obs woWa- 
kis hXeyov v/x7v tous e^Qpovs tov aravpov tov 

XplGTOV, /C.T.A. 

(24) napW 'and he was no more;' a euphem- 
ism. Compare 1 Kings xx. 40, 13JPN NTi) and 
Gen. xlii. 13, )&$ inarn 'one [of them] is no 
more.' Compare also the words in which Livy 
mentions the decease of the founder of Rome, 
' nee deinde in terris Romulus fuit.' 

initf r\pb The same word is used with re- 

'-T 

spect to Elijah when God took him up into 
heaven ; see 2 Kings ii. 3. It corresponds with 



CHAPTER V. (2 4 )-(2 9 ). 43 

the Arabic ^^ 'abripuit,' [aliquem Deus], just 
as T\\h in Isai. liii. 8, ' abreptus est a morte,' cor- 
responds with u ^ 

(29) This episode, like that in chap. iv. with 
respect to the other Lamech the descendant of 
Cain, is not free from difficulty. The name ni 
Noah, cannot possibly be derived from DTO ' con- 
solatus est' (as seems to be here implied), nor 
can it have any other root thau the verb T\% be- 
ing identical with ra 'quies.' The LXX. who 
translate the first two words of Lamech's speech, 
ovtos Siavcnravaei ^a?, must have read, not Opny 
but toTVy\ 'This [child] shall cause us to rest 
(i. e. relieve us) from our toil,' &c. ; and this 
reading is most probably the true one. Some 
commentators would find for nb an Indoger- 
manic derivation, viz., from vw, v/jx^, or vavs, as 
though Noah's name meant a ' mariner.' 

Lamech's speech, like that of his namesake in 
chap, iv., has been supposed to be quoted from an 
ancient song or poem, since it is in rhyme, and 
may be arranged as follows in verse, 



T t-: T ' • 


vnr\y n? 


t -: •• v -; 


u^jr&p 


rrtr 

t : 


an; p'as?^ 



44 CHAPTER V. (29). — VI. (2). 

Lamech seems to have prognosticated a blessing 
on the painful labours of agriculture, as the 
result of Noah's piety. 



CHAPTER VI. 

(2) Various meanings have been assigned by 
different commentators to the D^rf^n \n and 
the DTKH m"^ between whom marriages are here 
said to have been contracted, viz., 'men of rank,' 
and ' women of low degree ;' ' the worshippers of 
God/ and ' the daughters of the worldly-minded ;' 
' the descendants of Seth,' and ' the daughters of 
Cain's descendants.' Others again, taking niia, 
Ul$n to mean the same as it does in the first 

TT T 

verse of this chapter, viz., ' the daughters of 
mankind in general,' and connecting this passage 
with a verse of St Jude, concerning ' the angels 
who left their first habitation,' have supposed it 
to imply that ' angels came down to earth and 
associated with females of the human race.' 

In favour of the latter hypothesis it has been 
alleged that ' the angels ' are called Wfixn ^21 in 
Job i. 2, and xxxviii. 7, and in Psal. xxix. 1, (in 
respect of their nature and origin, as they are 



CHAPTER VI. (2), (3). 45 

elsewhere called Mate in respect of their office) ; 
and that in the heathen world a tradition pre- 
vailed of the existence in early times on earth 
of mighty and heroic persons, of half divine and 
half human origin, many of whom had lived law- 
lessly and impiously. Compare Plato, Cratyl. 

ovk olaOa otl ij/miOeoi o\ tiptoes ; 7rayres gyjttov ye- 
tyovacriv, epaadevTOS tj deov QvrjTrjS rj dvrjrov Oeas. 

There is no force in the argument for this inter- 
pretation, that DlKil no? in this verse must ne- 
cessarily mean the same as in the first verse of 
the chapter, where the daughters of mankind in 
general are spoken of, since, from the paucity of 
the language, it may, on the contrary, have a dif- 
ferent and more restricted signification in the 
present verse. 

nni "KPN tea i. e. choosing them at their 
own caprice, without respect to human or divine 
law. 

(3) ^ryn p'Tpfc If \r\ be construed here as 
identical in meaning with pi the clause must be 
rendered, 'My spirit shall not always strive in 
man,' or 'judge in man' (dictating authoritatively 
and determining his moral conduct as his con- 
science). But the verb ]VT seems to have been 
taken by the LXX and by Onkelos as equiva- 



4b* CHAPTER VI. (3). 

lent to DVP (Arabic ^jj from AS) ' permanebit/ 
Compare Psal. xxxvii. 7, rrirpf? D^ e wait for the 
Lord.' The version of the LXX is ov ^ Kara- 

fieipr] to irvevfxa /mod ev T0I9 avdpwrrois eis tov aioova, 

and that of Onkelos, *£nj? |*V? Httra tfTT D^JT *& 
'This evil generation shall not always continue 
before me.' The Syriac version of p'T~*& viz. 
IDVil ttb and that of Saadiah J^ y agree with 
that of the LXX. Some of the Rabbins derive 
ttT from pj3 ' & sheath ; and translate the clause 

' T ' TT 

6 my spirit shall not always be enclosed (i. e. con- 
tained) in man.' 

1W2 wn D2BJ2L In this clause God declares his 

T T t - : 

reason for not permitting his Spirit to maintain 
a perpetual struggle in the breast of man. If 
D3ea be a contraction for 03 nttW2 (like *Mj5'f 
for \fiDjp "MN in Judg. v. 7, and nJRWp for ~)Wtt 
nfiX in Judg. vi. 17), it may be translated as in 
our authorized Version, ' since he is also flesh,' 
(i. e. ' as well as spirit,' or ' as well as the beasts'). 
But many commentators, taking D3ttf to be the 
infinitive Kal of 33^ ' erravit,' with the pronomi- 
nal affix D , translate the clause ' on account of 
their erring (L e. their frailty), [since] he (man) 
is flesh (i. e. yields to its temptations).' With 
this the Targum of Onkelos on the passage seems 



CHAPTER VI. (3), (4). 47 

to agree, viz. WW2 tfn'Hl'W N*W1 JWfcjn 'since 
they are flesh, and their deeds are evil.' 

The ) in VW vrn is equivalent to the Arabic 
<_J < so,' ' therefore.' 

(4) I5~'Hn8 invariably means 'afterwards;' 
see Gen. xv. 14; xxiii. 19; and xxv. 26. The 
clause }5"nnN D|i 'and also afterwards,' is dis- 
connected by the accent from ittfcg which follows 
it, and preceded by the segolta (•••) over Dnn an 
accent which marks the commencement of a 
parenthesis (see Hurwitz's Heb. Gram. pag. 38). 
It must therefore be taken as a parenthetical re- 
mark with respect to subsequent history, [comp. 
Gen. xiv. 17, 'which is the king's dale,' — a more 
modern name], and the whole verse be construed 
thus, ' The giants were in the earth in those days 
(as well as afterwards, i. e. in later times) ; since 
the sons of God had intercourse with the daugh- 
ters of men, so that they bore children to them ; 
these giants are the mighty ones who were of 
old, men of renown.' (The last clause is merely 
explanatory of the word D^23). The meaning 
seems to be, that the fruit of the intercourse be- 
tween 'the sons of God ; and 'the daughters of 
men' was a race of giants that then existed in 
the earth, as indeed there existed also in after 



48 CHAPTER VI. (4)-(7)- 

times. Several derivations have been suggested 
for the word crffi32 Some deduce it from b^ 
'incidit,' 'hostiliter irruit' (comp. Jobi. 15); some 
from *?££ 'cecidit,' (quasi 'disjecti,' /3e jSXpewi, fallen 
angels) ; and others from b^l ' defecit' (in the 
sense ' deserters,' 'traitors'). From the descrip- 
tion of them in this passage as ' the mighty ones 
of old time,' the first of these three derivations 
appears the most probable; or they may have 
been so called as ' those who caused others to 
fall,' i. e. ' overthrew them.' 

town *ttfat? This use of UW resembles that in 
Gen. xi.4, ' Let us make us a name,' i.e.' renown ;' 
or in Psal. ix. 5, and Psal. cix. 13, viz. 'renown 
for violence.' Some Rabbins take Dttf here to be 
identical with p'DDttf ' desolation,' because ' the 
giants desolated the world by their violence.' 

(7) This soliloquy is evidently in the anthro- 
popathic style, and resembles that in Gen. xi. 6, 
and still more closely that in Gen. xviii. 20, 21, 
where the Lord is about to punish the sin of 
Sodom and Gomorrah. 

non^-iy Dltf ft literally, ' from man to beast, 
&c.'; an idiom equivalent to 'beast and reptile 
and bird as well as man.' (Compare Gen. xxxi. 
24, yyiSl afep ' bad as well as good.') Or it may 



CHAPTER VI. (7H9). 49 

mean, all included under the several denomina- 
tions 'man, beast, bird and reptile.' 

(9) 'These are the annals (nflWnj of Noah.' 
In the following history of Noah, Moses is sup- 
posed by some commentators to have interwoven 
a previously existing record with one more strictly 
his own; a supposition which will account for 
several repetitions and discrepancies that occur 
in the course of it, especially with respect to the 
ceremonial distinction of animals into clean and 
unclean, which is recognised in that part of the 
narrative where the name nipp occurs (e. g. ch. vii. 
1 — 2, and viii. 19); but to which no allusion is 
made in those parts where the Almighty is called 

!P#* ( e - g- ch - vi - 19 > 20 > and ix - 2 > 3 )- 

D'tofi ttrw like Dfi ttfa* in Job i. 2, and Gen. xxv. 

• T T 

27, means ' a man of integrity,' the reAeros ayyp 
of the New Testament. Compare Psal. xli. 13, 
t3l ronn wai 'Thou shalt uphold me in my 

t : - t • ••. : 

integrity.' 

WTVQ 'in sseculis suis,' 'in setate sua/ UF\ 

t : T 

vrr\13. closely resembles the phrase ' integer vitae.' 
Some say that nil is here in the plural, be- 
cause Noah lived through several generations. 

T[>>nJVT P*;f?»rrrtK ' He lived as in God's pre- 
sence.' See the note on ch. v. 22. 



50 CHAPTER VI. (n)-(i4> 

(11) D^rfwn "Ogfc rin^ri Different meanings 
have been assigned to this. Some say that it 
means, ' it was openly corrupt ;' i. e. before God 
and man ; others, * it was secretly corrupt,' in the 
eyes of God, though not in those of men. Others 
say, that 'the first clause of the verse describes 
the state of the world with respect to God, viz., 
that it was ungodly; and the second, its state 
with respect to man, viz., that it was full of in- 
humanity and violence/ 

(13) *3gft H2L 'is come before me,' or 'is at 
hand with me,' i. e. * is appointed by me to take 
place shortly.' 

fiyrrru* means either ' with the earth,' (com- 
pare Gen. xxxvii. 2, YUNTJU* n}H 'feeding [sheep] 
with his brethren,' and Numb. xxv. 14, ' the man 
mnftrrm nsn IWX who was slain with a Midian- 
ite woman'), or 'from the earth' (as in Exod. ix. 
"Tiyrrrw WWQ ' when I go out from the city,' 
and Gen. xliv. 4, 332TT.ni* \)Xp Dii), or e upon the 
earth' (as in 1 Kings ix. 25, and Psal. Ixvii. 2), or 
' in the earth' (as in the next verse, ' rooms shalt 
thou make in the ark,' nihTTTU*). 

(14) nsi It is not improbable that this is 
the same word as 33b and means ' a pitchy resi- 
nous wood,' 'a species of light pine.' The Tar- 



CHAPTER VI. (i4)-( l6 )- 51 

gumist translates it 'cedar,' the four species of 
pine enumerated by the Rabbins being ntf , D)*np, 
pttf yy, and wm. Some have been led by the 
similarity of name to suppose it identical with 
' cyparessus,' 'cupressus,' the wood of which is 
well adapted for ship-building. 

i"Dri is a ' floating structure with a roof, with- 
out sails, masts, or oars.' 

D^p properly 'nests;' hence 'small chambers, 
or compartments (like those of a pigeon-house), 
to contain and separate the various animals.' 

(16) "ink This Word is a a7ra£ Xeyofxevov. 

It has usually been rendered ' window,' flirD by 
Onkelos), as if connected with D^Ttt * meridies/ 
but is with greater probability supposed by Schul- 
tens to mean 'roof,' and derived from the same 
root as the Arabic Jo ' dorsum.' The latter in- 
terpretation being adopted, the meaning of the 
clause, 'Thou shalt finish it off in [the breadth 
of] a cubit above,' will be that 'the sloping sides 
of the roof were to meet in a ridge, a cubit wide, 
which was to be continued all along the top of 
the ark.' That there should have been but one 
window a cubit wide provided for so large a 
structure is highly improbable; and almost equally 
so that in this detailed description no mention 

C2 



52 CHAPTER VI. (i6)-(i 9 ). 

should have been made of so important a part 
of it as its roof, which was necessary to defend 
it from the descending torrents. Observe also 
that the word -ink is not used where Noah is 
said to have opened 'a window (pVn) of the 
ark,' nor where ' the windows (fiinj*) of heaven' 
are said to have been ' opened.' It is true that 
the cognate Syriac nnk means ' brightness,' and 
the Arabic *^ ' the heat of the sun ;' but ' a 
window' is for the admission of light and heat, 
not the light and heat themselves. 

(17) b)2D from ^aj 'decidit/ (or 'concidit/ 
quod diluvium omnia fecerit'concidere;' Buxtorf). 
The word ^1D must be supplied again between 
b)2L&t1 and D^D on account of the definite article, 
that the sense may be ' I will bring the deluge, 
the deluge of water, upon the earth.' Com- 
pare the phrase n^in jmn for Pi^zn jm inan 
Some derive ^3D from rWo ' confusion,' because 
' confusion is produced by a deluge.' 

(19) 'Of all animals thou shalt take two, a 
male and a female to preserve life/ Observe the 
discrepancy between this command and that in 
the next chapter, where Noah is directed to take 
seven of the clean and two of the unclean animals. 
See the notes on ver. (9) of this chapter and on 
ver. (3) of chap. ix. 



CHAPTER VII. (4M23). 53 



CHAPTER VII. 



(4) npittJD^ < After seven days.' }> is 
used in the same way in ver. 10 of this chapter, 
and in 2 Sam. xiii. 23. 

D^prrt| ' everything that subsists,' or ' exists/ 

(6) D^D iTH bu&ryi The Rabbins say that 
the word b)lD must be supplied again before d;D 
as in Gen. vi. 17 (where see the note). It is to be 
suspected, however, that the words iTH and D^p 
have been transposed through the inaccuracy of 
transcribers. 

(16) 'm%2 is here equivalent to vb% 'upon 
him/ i.e. 'after him.' Compare 2 Kings iv. 4, 
'Thou shalt shut the door Tpianj^i Tf^JJS after 
thee thy sons;' Psal. iii. (4), Hjft yzp nJWi 'Thou 
art a shield afowtf me ;' and Gen. xx. 18, "iT ixp 

(19) ikp lkp See Gen. xiv. 10, and note. 

(23) D^rr6|"jnN np^_ ' everything existing 
was wiped out,' 'destroyed.' npi is the future 
Mphal of HTID as also is n^ in the next clause. 
n^ is used here before a noun in the nominative 
case (the subject of the verb Niphal). Com- 
pare nrop bzv nwxh )nix D| (Hos. x. 6), §n$ n 1 ? 



i 



54 CHAPTER VII. (23). — VIII. (i)-(3)- 

^DWT)8 (Gen. xvii. 5); Gen. xxi. 5 and 8, and xxvii. 
42 ; Numb. xxvi. 55, and Deut. xx. 8. The Rab- 
bins say that ft$ is inserted in these passages in 
order to give greater precision to the sense. See 
the note on Gen. xvii. 5. 

nDrn""iy D"JKD * beast and creeping thing as 
well as man? See the note on Gen. vi. 7. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

(1) nn BTf?K T3fi See Gen. i. 2, and note. 

&Qh\ The verb If?^ means ' to abate,' or ' to 
subside/ Compare rD:?ttf ifpfon DDTl) 'the king's 
wrath subsided' (in Esth. vii.), where "p^ is op- 
posed to rf?V m tne phrase ifpm nDn n^J£ DN 
* If the kings wrath should arise.' 

(3) nitth l\)bn tottP * recedebant incedendo et 
recedendo.' The two gerundial infinitives fol- 
lowing the principal verb (one of them the infini- 
tive of the same verb) express that the action 
(here ' the subsiding of the water') was performed 
uninterruptedly. Compare jrioji tpVr '$&* 'pro- 
ficiscebatur incedendo et proficiscendo,' (Gen. xii. 
9); and litth ^W ^^ in the 7th verse of this 

17 T T — - 

chapter. 

DT> mm DNtfpn mpn' after the end of 150 days 



CHAPTEll VIII. (3)-(6). 55 

[from the time when the deluge began].' Compare 
VJ9D in ver. 6. (Observe that the singular is used 
after large numbers). The preposition jD is 
similarly employed in Hos. vi. 2, DWD WTP 
'After two days He will revive us.' 

(4) The Targum of Onkelos renders the word 
^TI- ky *tT\& Kardow, i. e. Kurdistan ; so that 
the tradition that the mountain on which the 
ark rested was near Mosul, is of very con- 
siderable antiquity. 

(5) -nom Vbn m It has been well ob- 

' t : T T 

served that this is an elliptical construction, and 
that the complete form of the phrase would be 
lion onoirn vbn D'oVfrl W which would be pre- 

Bt • : : t • : t x 

cisely analogous to those in verses (3) and (7) 
of this chapter, and express that the waters went 
on subsiding uninterruptedly. See the note on 
litth ybn ttan in ver. (3). 

T T \T N I 

(6) Vj5D 'after the end of;' see the note 
on ver. (3). Compare Q>DJ ygp (Gen. iv. 3), 'at 
the end of a considerable time.' The 1 in nfiSJ 
is that of transition and corresponds with the 
Arabic uJ 'then.' 

]^n Observe that the window of the ark 
is not called nnk in this place. See the note on 
Gen. vi. 16. 



56 CHAPTER VIII. (7M 11 )- 

(7) litth HW N^ ' exibat exeundo et rede- 

N ' T T 

undo ;' ' went to and fro.' See the note on ver. 
(3) of this chapter. 

r\wy_ is probably the infinitive (of which the 
other form is vfty) from wy like rby from by 

t' -t v : -t 

in Numb. xiv. 16; or both may be regarded 
as verbal nouns. 

(8) The article n before WP in this verse, 
and before 2nj? in the last, is an indefinite article, 
since there were seven doves and two ravens in 
the ark. For other instances of this use of n see 
r6pt?rrn» (Gen. ix. 23), ' a garment;' Dipftl(Gen. 
xxviii. (11), 'on a place,' and Krfjsn 'one who had 
escaped;' (Gen. xiv. 13, where see the note). 

(10) bw This may be a contracted form of 
brt* (Mic. v. 6) the future Pihel of btV ' moratus 
est,' like W1J for Vlttfo* 'arefacit ipsum' (Nah. i. 
4) ; or it may be the Hiphil of ^n after the form 
2W (Gen. xiv. 16) from 2W Comp. ^rn (Lam. 
iii. 26), ' ut exspectet,' and w)2 iy frm (Judg. iii. 
25), 'they waited till they were ashamed.' 

(11) *pb This is a noun (the verb having 
pathack under the 1), and according to the Tar- 
gumist and the Rabbins is a verbal noun from 
epB 'rapuit,' 'decerpsit;' and means 'raptum,' 
* avulsum,' and hence ' a leaf,' as torn off from 



CHAPTER VIII. (n)-(i7). 57 

the stem. Comp. paaJI ^ft (Targum Onkelosi 
Gen. iii. 7). But it may be of the same import as 
the cognate Arabic ^IL 'fresh'; this branch not 
being one which had floated on the water during 
the continuance of the deluge (more than half a 
year), but one fresh- plucked from a tree that had 
lived under the water, (which the olive-tree will 
do for a long time), so that Noah knew thereby 
that its top must be now above water. 

(11) bbp ' levis fuit' is used in the sense of 
'smallness' and 'diminution;' just as "DD 'pon- 
derosus fuit' expresses that of ' multiplicity' and 
'increase.' Comp. ikp 113 njpD (Exod. xii. 38), 
and m FEW in Job. 

- t : : • 

(12) br}»\ Some say that this is the future 
Niphal of bri] (the second *> being a substitute for 
the ) in the regular form bm) with a reflective 
signification not uncommon in the Niphal ; others, 
with Kimchi, say that it is a contracted form of 
the Hithpahel *?nw In either case it means e ex- 
spectantem se continuit.' 

(13) Compare the use of im D*V (Gen.i. 5, 
where see the note) with tthW? in* DV in this 
verse. The cardinal is used instead of the or- 
dinal number. 

(17) K$n Although Hariri is the usual form 

C5 



58 CHAPTER VIII. (17). — IX. (2). 

of the imperative of N2P the Masorites direct that 
the word in the text should be pronounced 

(21) rrirro A verbal noun from rPiD after the 
form yttf? Wherever else it occurs in Scripture, 
it is always as here in construction w T ith PM 
' odour ;' see Lev. xxvi. 31 ; Numb, xxviii. 2 ; and 
Ezek. xx. 28. It seems to mean * agreeable,' 
'pleasant;' or perhaps (analogously with the 
phrase Hftn rP3H 'placavit iram') 'propitiatory.' 

Observe that the name rrilT is used in the 

t : 

concluding three verses of this chapter as well as 
in all the passages of the book of Genesis where 
similar soliloquies occur (e. g. Gen. vi. 7, xi. 6, 
xviii. 17 — 21), the style of which is evidently 
anthropopathic. 



CHAPTER IX. 

(2) D?fin ' the fear of you' (i. e. of which you 
are the object). The same word occurs in Job 
xli. 24, nn ^2b ' without fear.' Another form of 
the same word is found in Gen. xxxv. 5, nnrt 
mfcx ' a mighty panic' DDJyin might mean ' the 
object of your fear,' as well as 'the fear of which 
you are the object.' 



CHAPTER IX. (3), (4). 59 

(3) Observe that permission is here given to 
Noah and his sons to eat of every living creature 
without distinction, whereas in the two preceding 
chapters (which are distinguished from this by the 
use of the name rniT instead of tfpftN) the ani- 
mals are spoken of as * clean and unclean,' a 
ceremonial difference which consisted solely in 
their use as food being lawful or unlawful to the 
Hebrews. This is regarded as the strongest proof 
of their theory by those who suppose the book of 
Genesis to have been composed of two separate 
records, Mosaic and Prsemosaic, in which the 
names nfrp and tfpfrtf were respectively used. 
See the note on Gen. i. 1. 

(4) The particle ifi* expresses here and in 
the next verse an exception to the preceding- 
permission to eat of all moving living creatures. 
Some have thought that what is here prohibited 
is the eating the flesh of animals while yet alive, 
(which is practised to this day in Abyssinia), ibl 
ittfD?2 being translated 'flesh with its life,' i. e. 
' flesh severed from a living animal f but it is 
more probable that this and the following verse 
contain the first promulgation of two laws which 
afterwards formed part of the Mosaic code. The 
first of these two laws is found in Deut. xii. 23, 



60 CHAPTER IX. (4), (5). 

' Beware of eating the blood ; for the blood is the 
life, and thou shalt not eat the life with the flesh ;' 
which scarcely leaves room for doubt that in the 
present verse the word 1D7 is inserted as explana- 
tory of the preceding word itfijlM ' the life thereof, 
[that is to say] the blood thereof.' The blood of 
slain animals was to be poured on the ground 
before they were eaten, as ordained in the same 
passage of Deuteronomy. 

(5) The particle }K is repeated at the com- 
mencement of this verse, because it contains an- 
other exception to the general permission to kill 
and eat every sort of living things, viz. * that any 
man or animal that has slain a human being shall 
suffer death ;' a law which, as well as that in the 
preceding verse, afterwards formed part of the 
Mosaic code. 

D^jn&foa^ DDpi means * your blood, your own 
blood ;' literally, ' your blood, that of yourselves,' 
or ' of your own lives,' as distinguished from that 
of animals spoken of in the preceding verse, 
which it was lawful to shed, b is here the sign 
of the possessive case, as in 7rb nbtp 

ITJtf tth» TD * From the hand of each man his 

* T * ~ * 

brother,' i. e. • each man's brother,' where ' bro- 
ther' is equivalent to 'fellow-creature ;' or simply 



CHAPTER IX. fe)-(io). 61 

'from the hand of each brother,' (i. e. 'from the 
hand of every fellow-creature'), after the analogy 
of the similar phrase in Gen. xv. 10, lin-rttfo* jJn*i 
'he placed each portion,' &c, where the pro- 
nominal affix i (whose antecedent is w^) is 
purely idiomatic, and to be omitted in transla- 
tion. Onkelos supplies between feptf and vpn* 
the words *T NDTTiN TO translating the clause, 
' from the hand of each one [who sheds the blood 
of] his brother, will I require the life of man.' 
Others supply 1 before vntf comparing wx *Btt)bl 
vnNi (Ezek. iv. 17), and understand 'each and 
his brother/ as meaning ' one and all.' 

(6) DIN! is translated by some, ' among men,' 
i. e. ' in the presence of witnesses,' ' in public ;' 
but by others (with greater probability), ' by [the 
hand of] man.' 

(10) bbb — bbn The use of jp and b in this 
place is analogous to that of ]D and Tjf in Gen. vi. 
7, (where see the note). It expresses that the 
statement refers to every thing included between 
the classes enumerated. 

The 1 in tfjjQ means 'of the class of (as we 
say, ' goods in silk, cotton,' &c), or simply ' in ;' 
' every life that exists in fowl, cattle, &c. among 
you.' 



62 CHAPTER IX. (13M19). 

(13) Compare Homer's Iliad xi. 27 : 

ipiSes — a<$ re Kpov'uov 
Ev ve(pe'l ar^pi^e, Tepas txepoiriov av9p(x)7roov. 

6 And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I 
will look at it,' is an idiomatic sentence equiva- 
lent to ' and when the bow is in the cloud, I will 
look at it.' Compare the note on Gen. xliv. 4, 
6 and when they were gone out of the city, Joseph 
said,' &c. 

(18) 'And Ham is Canaan's father.' This 
remark appears to be inserted to explain the 
circumstance that in the following episode Ham 
is anathematized in the name of his son Ca- 
naan (the ancestor of the hereditary enemies 
of Israel), from whom he received the cognomen, 
or jjj£ (as the Arabs call it), of fjft3 *aN Some 
commentators, however, would read in ver. 25 
instead of \&D ir>N the words ttttQ 'QN in» 

'^t: t '-t : • -; t 

(19) ' And from these the wh ole earth was dis- 
persed ;' i. e. ' inhabitants were dispersed through- 
out it.' Compare x. 5, ' from these the islands of 
the nations were dispersed;' i.e. 'inhabitants 
through them.' ysi ' dispersus fuit,' is a verb Kal, 
which occurs also in 1 Sam. xiii. 11, and Isai. 
xxxiii. 3. See Buxtorf. «sa on the contrary, in 
Gen. x. 18, is the Niphal of yte 



CHAPTER IX. (20), (21). 63 

(20) nfiixn wx ni bm ' Noah began as a 
husbandman,' ' Ccepit agricola ;' or we may sup- 
ply itirb after br% from Gen. x. 8, br\n ran 
*EL| TVFfb ' He began to be mighty.' Buxtorf says 
that when this verb means 'profanavit' it has the 
pathach under the Yod, as in Ezek. xxxix. 7, and 
Numb. xxx. 3. Yarchi, however, adopts the latter 
sense of the verb bbn in the present passage, and 
renders it, l Tunc Noah profanavit ut cultor terrse,' 
as if it were meant that Noah began to engage 
in worldly and irreligious pursuits, whereas be- 
fore he had been an DJn BPN Compare Gen. iv. 
26, where the Hophal of the same verb is taken 
by some commentators to mean 'cceptum est,' 
and by others to mean c profanatum est.' 

VTQ is a 'vineyard,' as distinguished from 
]SJ 'a vine.' Noah perhaps was the first who 
cultivated vines in any considerable number. 

(21) JW| is the apocopated form of rw (after 
the Vaw conversive). A more ordinary form 
would have been JW like p*! from mi and tp*i 

v • - 1 ...- TT 11... _ 

and njfj Both the Shevas in jPiur; are TO (quies- 
cent), and the word is to be pronounced c Yasht.' 
Similarly, fiS> (the apocopated future Hiphil of 
nns) in v. 27 of this chapter, is to be pronounced 
' Yapht: 



64 CHAPTER IX. (2i)-(2 4 ). 

The ri in Tibnx is the poetical substitute for i 
this episode being one of a prophetic character. 
Compare ti~)y and rfniD in Gen. xlix. id? in 
verses 26 and 27 of this chapter is also a poetic 
form. 

(23) ntetsfrrJIK The n is probably here an 
indefinite article, as in Gen. viii. 8, and xiv. 13. 
It may however be used here definitely, to in- 
dicate the garment which Noah cast off when he 
bb^Tyn ' se denudavit,' or * his garment,' since the 
definite article is frequently equivalent to a pos- 
sessive pronoun in Hebrew. 

(24) IBpprto 'his (Noah's) younger son.' 
The Rabbins say that the pronominal affix here 
refers to Ham, whose youngest son was Canaan, 
whereas Ham was not the youngest son of Noah ; 
and that since Canaan and not Ham is the object 
of Noah's curse, Canaan must have been guilty of 
an outrage toward Noah (too gross to be speci- 
fied in the text) to which he was encouraged by 
the disrespectful conduct of his father Ham ; and 
that it was of this outrage that Noah was aware 
as soon as he awoke from his wine. To this it 
may be replied, (l) that jopn may mean 'the 
younger,' not 'the youngest;' and Ham (as ap- 
pears from the order in which they are usually 



CHAPTER IX. (24). 65 

placed) was the second of Noah's sons, Shem the 
progenitor of the Hebrew race (whose blessing 
comes first here) being the eldest (see the note on 
Gen. x. 21) ; (2) that the blessings as well as the 
curse in the following prophecy relate to the 
posterity of Noah's sons, not to the individuals 
themselves; that the curse was nominally laid 
upon Canaan the youngest and favourite son of 
Ham, after whom he was commonly called Abou- 
Canaan (see ver. 18 and note), but referred in 
reality to his posterity, the Canaanites, the ene- 
mies of Israel, and was destined to take effect 
upon them, just as the blessing on Shem referred 
especially if not exclusively to the Hebrews 
among his descendants ; (3) that in Oriental 
phraseology imprecation on a person's son, father, 
mother, &c, is equivalent to a bitter imprecation 
on the person's self; (4) that the conduct of Ham, 
mentioned in ver. 22, in proclaiming what he 
ought to have concealed, was sufficient to draw 
his father's curse upon him, and that we are not 
justified in supposing any further outrage to have 
been committed. 'What his younger son had 
done to him,' must therefore mean, 'the disre- 
spectful conduct of Ham toward him.' 

With the conduct of Shem and Japheth on 



66 CHAPTER IX. (2 4 )-(26). 

this occasion, compare that of Ali and Aboubekr 
as narrated by Abou'lfeda, when they washed the 
corpse of Mohammed with averted eyes. 

(25) This prophecy was fulfilled in the sub- 
jection of the Canaanites and their land to the 
Hebrews. Those of them whose lives were spared 
became menial slaves of the lowest class, ' hewers 
of wood and drawers of water/ to the Israelites. 

With the phrase DHlg "DV ' most servile/ 
compare DW£ tthp e most holy/ and &rb$n »rf?& 
MWT *f\to\ (Deut. x. 17). The prediction of the 
servitude of the Canaanites to the descendants of 
Shem is repeated in the next verse, the i of }fib 
referring to Shem. 

(26) ' Blessed be the Lord God of Shem/ 
This is a benediction on the family of Shem in 
the form of a congratulation, i. e. of a thanks- 
giving to God for the blessings which he was 
about to bestow upon them. Compare Deut. 
xxxiii. 20, ' Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad ;' 
which is equivalent to c God be blessed and 
praised for the enlargement which he will grant 
to the tribe of Gad.' Compare also the Arabic 
phrase expressive of admiration or congratulation, 
ciJiU- u^iJl &\s£~* ' Praised be he who created 
thee.' 



CHAPTER IX. (27). 67 

(27) nsf? D*rfra fiS? The apocopated form 
of prjnfP the Hiphil of nJi3 is to be pronounced 
6 Yapht/ both the Shevas being quiescent ; (see 
the note on ver. 21). Followed by h it means 'to 
give enlargement to,' ' to bless with ample space/ 
and is translated by the Targumist TiT)! (com- 
pare 13 y>tT)12 "-pna Deut. xxxiii. 20), which con- 
nects it with the Arabic form of blessing or salu- 
tation, cjj U*.-* 'Mayst thou have enlargement/ 
or 6 ample space.' The word F\& is evidently used 
here on account of its close alliterative resem- 
blance to the name of the patriarch Japheth, and 
to this resemblance perspicuity is partially sacri- 
ficed. The most probable translation of the clause 
is, * May God grant enlargement to Japheth/ i. e. 
' space, and posterity to occupy that space.' But 
some commentators have rendered it, * May God 
allure Japheth/ i. e. ' into his service/ taking the 
verb Hiphil in the same sense as the Pihel of 
the same verb in Pro v. i. 10, 'My son, if sinners 
entice thee Cspflai) consent not.' The apocopated 
form of verbs is used not only after the Vaw con- 
versive, but in cases of command, exhortation, pro- 
hibition and benediction. See the note on Gen. i. 3. 

The clause DttP"6nK2 ptth is on no account to 

•• •• t: t : : • : 

be referred to Japheth. The subject of pap 



68 CHAPTER IX. (27). 

in this clause as well as of && in the last is 
O'pfri* and it is here predicted that God (who in 
the last verse is called 'the God of Shem') 
should dwell in an especial manner among the 
descendants of Shem, to whom (it is here repeated) 
the descendants of Canaan should be in servitude ; 
which was fulfilled in respect of the Hebrews, 
and their occupation of Palestine. Compare ' In 
Salem is His tabernacle, and His dwelling tottfp 
in Zion.' Some have chosen to refer this pro- 
phecy to the descendants of Japheth, taking 
Japheth to be the subject of ]bw and have at- 
tempted to trace its fulfilment in the settlement 
of the Greeks, Romans and Turks (as conquerors) 
among the Arabs and Hebrews, and of the Eng- 
lish among the Hindoos (though these are not 
of Shemitic origin), and in the servitude of the 
Africans to European nations (though the west- 
ern Africans are in no way connected with the 
Canaanites). Such adaptations ofprimeeval pro- 
phecy to the events of modern times are always 
to be regarded with distrust. Its fulfilment must 
generally be sought for in the early Jewish his- 
tory, and in the relation of the Hebrew nation to 
their immediate neighbours, and no farther. 



CHArTER X. (i), (2). 69 



CHAPTER X. 



This chapter contains the most ancient piece 
of genealogical ethnography in existence. That 
many of the names which occur in the list are 
not those of individual descendants of Noah, but 
of nations, cities, or countries, appears probable 
from the fact that some are in the plural 
number ; as Mizraim, Caphtorim, &c. Some of 
them can be identified with more or less certainty. 
Of others no trace remains. The disquisitions of 
Bochart on this subject are no less learned than 
ingenious. In some instances, however, it may 
be doubted whether his researches have not led 
him too far into the regions of conjecture. 

(1) "iDil has been supposed to correspond 
with the Kiwepioi or ancient inhabitants of Krim 
(Crimea). 

By JOD are probably meant the Scythians; 
(see Ezek. xxxviii.); *p < the Midians;' ftj 'the 
Ionians.' 

(2) feirn IfWD are probably the MoV^o* and 
Tifiapyvoi spoken of by Herodotus (in. 94 and 
vii. 78) as inhabitants of the mountains of Ar- 
menia and Colchis. The word ^ah Jby in Persian 



70 CHAPTER X. (2). 

signifies ' brass ;' and copper-mines abound in 
those mountains. 

1\WD and van are generally mentioned together 
by Ezekiel, and along with Gog and Magog (the 
Scythians) as coming from the same quarter, the 
North. 

D"ftfi from the similarity of sound, and analogy 
of geographical position, may correspond with 
Thrace. 

Of the sons of Gomer, ti2ttW cannot be identi- 
fied. Possibly the Phrygians, whose ancient name 
was 'AaKavioi, are intended by it. It is the name 
by which the Rabbinical writers denote the in- 

V 

habitants of Germany, a district too remote to 
be found in this ancient catalogue. 

nan suggests the 'montes Rhiphsei' of Thrace. 

nzruh with a transposition of the second and 
third letters, corresponds with 'Turcoman.' See 
Ezek. xxxviii. 6. 

Of the sons of gj (Ionia), rw*b$ is ' Elis,' or 
'Hellas.' 

t^tthri may be Tartous in Syria, a very an- 
cient place. Tartessus in Spain is too remote, 
nor of sufficient antiquity. 

M corresponds with the Kirwi, the inhabit- 
ants of Kinov, the chief town of Cyprus ; and if 



CHAPTER X. (2X7). . 71 

for u^il we adopt the reading D\nh (which is 
that of the LXX., the Samaritan Pentateuch, and 
Eusebius), this name will represent the 'PocW, who, 
as inhabitants of a neighbouring isle, are often 
mentioned together with the Klnoi. Both Rhodes 
and Cyprus are known to have received colonies 
from Phoenicia ; and accordingly it is here stated 
that by the BVO and wrh the isles of the West 
were peopled. The reading D^OTT has naturally 
suggested Dodona in Epirus ; but that place is 
too remote to be probable. 

(4) ' From these the isles (or ' coasts') of the 
nations were dispersed' (with inhabitants), i. e. 
'had inhabitants dispersed through them from 
thi§ source.' With this use of rns? compare that 
of rrcS3 in ix. 19 (where see the note). The word 
W means not only 'island,' but 'maritime country,' 
like the coasts of the Mediterranean occupied by 
the Greeks and Romans, and traded with by the 
Phoenicians. 

(7) There is great uncertainty about the geo- 
graphical districts indicated by the names of the 
two sons of Ham, Cush and Phut. The region of 
Cush appears, from the - passages of Scripture 
where it is mentioned, to be of very great extent, 
including not only Ethiopia, but all the more re- 



72 CHAPTER X. (7). 

mote parts of Asia lying South and East from 
Palestine, as far as India. Even Bactria (to the 
North East) appears to be called by this name 
in Gen. ii, where the river Gihon (the Oxus) is 
said to encompass ' the land of Cush.' The dis- 
trict of £}£ is generally mentioned in Scripture 
in connexion with Cush (see Nahum iii. 9 ; Jer. 
xlvi. 9 ; Ezek. xxx. 5) ; and seems to denote Nu- 
bia and part of Mauritania. 

UH2D is 'lower Egypt.' Its dual form seems 
to be accounted for by the circumstance that the 
Nile divides Egypt into two parts. 

jyjp here especially designates Phoenicia and 
Palestine. 

The various and distant places correspond- 
ing with the names of the 'sons of Cush' in- 
dicate the wide extent of country denoted by 
that name. 

Nip as appears from Josephus, is the ancient 
name of Meroe in Ethiopia. 

rb^Jl probably corresponds with Colchis, as 
stated in the note on Gen. ii. 11, where it is 
spoken of as encompassed (or bordered) by the 
river Pison (Phasis). * 

nrQD was the chief town of Hadramaut. 

t : - 

HBjn is probably the 'P^^a of Ptolemy on 



jCHAPTER X. (7), (8). 73 

the Persian Gulf, in Carmania, mentioned by Eze- 
kiel (ch. xxvii. 22) as a port from whence, as well 
as from Sheba, gold, spices, and gems (the pro- 
ducts of India) were brought. 

PDfiip is probably the ' Satacos' of Ptolemy, 
situate on the Persian Gulf, in Gedrosia, and 

South of 'Pe'yjua. 

Mtt? (to be distinguished from Nip above) is 
the Sheba in Yemen, whose Queen visited Solo- 
mon. 

ITT is a place mentioned by Ezekiel (xxv. 13) 
as on the Eastern border of Idumea; probably 
on the Persian Gulf, since the Tyrians traded 
with its inhabitants for ivory and ebony (see 
Ezek. xxvii. 15). 

(8) 'Cush begat Nimrod.' The early con- 
nexion here indicated between Cush and the 
Chaldaean or Babylonian territory is a proof of 
the wide extent of country denoted by the name 
Cush. (See the note on ver. 7). A trace of the 
same connexion appears in the name of an an- 
cient king of Mesopotamia, ' Cushan Rishathaim,' 
the first oppressor of Israel after the death of 
Joshua. 

The name Nimrod is derived by the Rabbinical 
commentators from T)D * rebellavit' ' defecit,' sup- 

D 



74 CHAPTER X. (8), (9). 

posing him to be the leader of those who built 
the tower of Babel. 

According to Rawlinson it is the regular pas- 
sive participle of an Assyrian verb, signifying 
'those who are found,' 'the settled.' He takes 
it to be a personification denoting 'those who 
emigrated in a North- Westerly direction from the 
land of Shinar, or Senkar, the original seat of the 
Chaldsean empire, in Babylonia.' 

nvnb bnn Compare the parallel use of bfV in 
Gen. ix. 20, after which we may supply fivrr? (see 
the note on the passage, ' Noah began [to be] a 
husbandman).' 

*H| is probably used here in a bad sense, like 
j\j&- in Arabic, and 7*7^, ' a tyrant,' ' an arro- 
gant and violent man/ 

(9) rn'iT fish TS "ll'3| If this phrase be taken 
in its most literal sense, it will mean that ' Nim- 
rod was accounted a mighty hunter even by God;' 
or that ' under heaven (wherever the presence of 
God extended) there was none like Nimrod as a 
huntsman.' But nirr» *isb is probably used here 
merely as a superlative; (see the note on Gen. i. 2; 
and compare Din* TOTjjn ' a very deep sleep,' in 
1 Sam. xxvi. 12, nVT^ DHjMOM in Gen. xiii. 13, and 
the use of tfpfrtf in Gen. xxxv. 5, xxx. 8, and xxiii. 



CHAPTER X. (9), (10). 75 

6, and Jonah iii. 3); and the literal meaning of 
"iT *&b TO "rial will therefore be ' sl veiy mighty 
hunter.' Rashi, however, says, that it is a meta- 
phorical expression, and means ' he was a hunter 
of men,' for that he seduced men to rebellion 
against God. But of this there is no sufficient 
proof; and if the phrase is to be taken metapho- 
rically, it most probably signifies that 'Nimrod 
was highly skilled in acquiring power over other 
men by art or force,' since, in the next verse, we 
find a statement of the dominion which he ac- 
quired, and the cities which he founded, not of 
his trophies of the chase. Accordingly, Onkelos 
renders it simply eypri "&3 'a mighty hero;' 'a 
conqueror.' Compare the phrase 'a fisher of 
men,' in the New Testament. 

(10) If the name Nimrod be (as Rawlinson 
supposes) a personification denoting ' those who 
emigrated North- Westward from Lower Chaldaea,' 
the words talfep TVi&tin will mean 'their original 
settlements before that emigration.' Accordingly 
XT$ "T3K and rtfo have been identified with the 
ruins of three most ancient cities in Babylonia, 
which together with Babel (subsequently its capi- 
tal) are supposed to have been the primary seat 
of the Chaldaean empire. 1\~}8 Ereck (whence the 

D2 



76 CHAPTER X. (10), (n). 

modern name Irak *\J) is regarded as synony- 
mous with Warka on the Euphrates, 80 miles 
south of Babylon ; "tea Accad, with Akari Nim- 
roud, or Akari Babel, 55 miles north of Babylon; 
and Ptto Calneh (the I'^O of Isaiah), with what 
was afterwards the Greek Ctesiphon in the dis- 
trict of Chalonitis, 18 miles below Baghdad. It 
has been observed that Warka (celebrated for the 
vast mounds of Al Assayah, which bear also the 
names of Irka and Irak, and are believed to be 
the remains of Ereck), is represented in the most 
ancient inscriptions by a monogram representing 
the moon rnj 'Yrack,' and corresponds with the 
Kanaplvrj of the Greek geographers, a name pro- 
bably derived from the Arabic^ luna. 

(11), (12) In these verses is briefly recorded 
the North-West emigration from Babylonia, of 
those Chaldseans who founded the great cities on 
the bank of the Tigris here enumerated, viz. nm 
(whose remains now exist at Khorsabad and Ko- 
yunjik opposite Mosul), rfo or rbr\ (see 2 Kings 
xvii. 6, and xviii. 11), and \cn whose sites corre- 
spond respectively with the modern Kalah Sher- 
gat, and Nimroud on the Tigris, south of Mosul. 
Rawlinson thinks it unnecessary to suppose that 
all the cities mentioned in this and the preceding 



CHAPTER X. (n)-(i7). 77 

verse were actually built and named at the com- 
mencement of the emigration (which the name of 
its leader Asshur shews to have been very early), 
but considers that they are mentioned only to in- 
dicate the localities of the first settlements and 
colonies of the Chaldaeans by titles which after- 
wards became famous under the later Assyrian 
empire, and only so were familiar to the He- 
brews. See the note on Gen. xiv. (1). 

(13) The various tribes and nations con- 
nected with Egypt are here enumerated. The 
first in verse (14) D^Dnns is allowed to be iden- 
tical with upper Egypt and the Thebaid. Comp. 
Dhns-riN (Ezek. xxx. 14). 

(14) uwn 'From thence/ i.e. 'from them.' 
The word DttJ is not, as usual, an adverb of place, 
but refers, like a pronominal affix, to the tribes 
D'rfpp? and D^pnriS) as its antecedent. Similarly, 
UW refers to a personal antecedent in Gen. xlix. 
24, ' From thence (i. e. from him, viz. Joseph,) is 
the Shepherd.' 

(13) — (17) It is most probable that these 
verses describe only the inter-relations of nations, 
and not a genealogy of individuals. In verse (15) 
we find Zidon (the name of a city) mentioned 
as the son of Canaan, and in verse (17) the singu- 



78 CHAPTER X. (i7)~(2i). 

lar forms of the names of various nations of 
Palestine enumerated as sons of Canaan. 

(19) Before Tfab there is an ellipsis of "jy 
(comp. Gen. xix. 22) ; and the phrase means ' until 
thy arriving at ;' i. e. ' all the way to ;' ' as far as/ 

(21) JWPTDi 1^ Dttfa Compare WTTM nttfa 
!2"T^ (Gen. iv. 26), from which it appears that 
in the present passage there is a transposition of 
*WD3 and 1^ and an ellipsis after them. The 
verse may be translated thus : ' And to Shem too 
(as well as the other sons of Noah) there was 
born (a family) ; [to Shem I say] the father of 
all the Beni-Eber, the elder brother of Japheth.' 

biltf} JT3; "»n» * the elder brother of Japheth,' 
(j&\ lLssI* L5 »4)i since Wtin must agree with 
TIN not with rfi? as some have erroneously 
supposed and thence inferred that Japheth was 
the eldest of Noah's sons, whereas it is evident 
from the order in which they are always men- 
tioned, that he was the youngest. Similarly, 
binsn H3 ]2 means 'the eldest (or 'elder') son of 
Noah/ not 'the son of Noah the elder.' Ham is 
called jbpn in Gen. ix. 24, as younger than Shem 
the progenitor of the race of Israel, not as younger 
than Japheth. See the note on that passage. 

(22) The names of the sons of Shem are 



CHAPTER X. (22), (23). 79 

those of districts, uby is 'Elymais' in southern 
Media; *w» is Assyria; "rttbs-}K is probably 
composed of tp« («_j^ limes?) and -rab Chaldsea; 
1^ is Lydia ; and D*i« North Syria and Mesopo- 
tamia. 

(23) The name of the eldest son of Dig viz. ^y 
is probably identical with Jt^ the Arabic name 
of the plain of Damascus. It formerly included 
along with that plain, a district of much larger 
extent, called by the Arabs Ul 'the Hauraan,' 
and by the Romans Oranitis, the northern part 
of Idumsea, where Job dwelt. 

^n may correspond to the plain now called 
2^ in North Palestine, around the smaller lake 
which lies north of that of Tiberias. "iru and WD 
suggest the names of Karthara and Masanitis, 
two towns at the mouth of the Tigris. Josephus 
thinks them the same as the Getae and Massagetse 
in Bactria ; but these are far too remote, and the 
similarity of name not sufficiently close. Ac- 
cording to others the former (nru) corresponds 
with Karthara on the Tigris near its junction 
with the Zab (Lycus), and the latter (wn) with 
the inhabitants or district of the Masian moun- 
tains near Nisibis ; both of which are nearer to 
Syria, and therefore to probability. 



80 CHAPTER X. (25H29). 

(25) jbB was so called because in his days the 
dispersion from Babel took place, pp 1 is pro- 
bably identical with \ia^ the name of an Arab 
tribe in Yemen, concerning which see Pocock in 
' Specimine Arab. Historiae/ 

(26) — (29) Here follow the names of a num- 
ber of tribes and places in Arabia. The first Tibbx 
is preceded by the Arabic article bx like ny^tf 
(Gen. xxv. 4), ttfa£» (Ezek. xiii. 11), and lb)Pibx 
(Josh. xv. 30). 

Of the remaining names the following have 
been identified with some probability; t\bw as 
the tribe ' Salapeni' of the interior of Arabia 
(mentioned by Ptolemy) ; ri^n^n as ' Hadramaut' 
on the south coast of Arabia ; ny (luna) as the 
Jia> _Ju (lunaB filii) a tribe in the vicinity of 
Hadramaut; b\Mi as the ancient name of Sanaa, 
the capital of Yemen ; Nlttf as Sheba in Yemen ; 
1«ritf as a port of rich merchandize, famed for 
gold, probably in the district of Oman (Muscat) ; 
rb^n as the part of Yemen now called ' Chau- 
lan,' (a different ' Havilah' from the last, men- 
tioned as a son of Cush in ver. 7 of this chapter); 
and 22V as the IcofiafiiTai of Ptolemy, between 
Hadramaut and Oman. The rest have not been 
at all identified. 



CHAPTER XI. (1H3). 81 

CHAPTER XL 

(1) nsitf means here ' language,' as in nsitf 
Utf3 (Isai. xix. 18), 'the language of Canaan,' (i. e, 
' the Canaanitish language,' as distinguished from 
the Hebrew), and elsewhere. This is a meta- 
phorical use of the word nsttf which primarily 
means 'lip,' similar to that of \iwb and ^U 
'lingua,' in the sense 'language.' 

Some commentators suppose that the ' uni- 
formity of language and expression' here spoken 
of, means merely ' unanimity and concord,' and 
that ' the confusion of languages' which ensued 
means ' discord.' But there is nothing to warrant 
this allegorical interpretation of the passage. 
The Rabbins assert that the one primeval lan- 
guage was Hebrew. 

(2) The verb ypj like the Arabic ^^ ex- 
presses the removals of nomadic tribes, when 
they strike their tents and proceed in quest of 
better pasturage. 

(3) n2n is the imperative of 1JT and ordi- 
narily means 'give;' (see Gen. xxix. 21, and xxx. 
1). If this be its signification here, we must, 
with the Rabbins, supply after it iJJJ ' help/ or 
njp; ' counsel ;' but it is most probably used here 

D5 



82 CHAPTER XI. (3H5). 

and in ver. (7) below as an interjection expressive 
of mutual encouragement, like the Latin ' cedo.' 

nsittfr n3")ttfa ' Let us burn them to burning ;' 
L e. thoroughly. 

nDn as in Gen. xiv. 10, and Exod. ii. 3, is 
usually rendered ' bitumen,' or ' slime/ such as 
abounds on the banks of the Nile and Eu- 
phrates. 

(4) bl2fi ' a tower,' or rather, ' citadel.' 

UW is either to be rendered as in vi. 4, ' re- 
nown,' or, which is more probable, * a monument/ 
as in 2 Sam. viii. 13, 'And David made him a 
monument when he returned from smiting the 
Syrians in the valley of Salt / and in Isai. lv. 13, 
* and it shall be to the Lord for a monument,' or 
' memorial/ The last clause of this verse, ' Lest 
we be scattered abroad,' &c, refers to the first, 
viz. 'Let us build us a city, 1 not to 'the tower,' or 
'the monument.' They wished to be united in 
one town for mutual safety and advantage. 

(5) ' The Lord came down,' &c. ; compare 
Gen. xviii. 20, 21. These passages are evidently 
in the anthropopathic style. The words njIT TV} 
Ph$rb are rendered by Onkelos, ' The Lord came 
down to punish those who were making the city/ 
from which it seems that he took nitiH? to be 



CHAPTER XI. (5), (6). 83 

equivalent to ipsb ' to visit f i. e. 6 to visit their 
sin upon them. 5 Compare however the exactly 
parallel passage, Gen. xviii. 21, where God says, 
' I will go down and see whether they have done,' 
&c, where the verb rm*) cannot have any but its 
ordinary meaning. 

(6) The words of the Almighty in this verse 
may be paraphrastically explained as follows : 
8 These people have every apparent advantage. 
They are a united people (TIN DJ?) ; they have all 
one language; and this is their undertaking 
which they are beginning [i. e. 'what they are 
only beginning to perform is thus grand;' or, 
'is going on thus prosperously']; so that accord- 
ing to present appearances (nriy) [it seems that] 
nothing that they purpose to effect will be with- 
held from them' (i.e. 'if they go on as they do 
now, all their undertakings will succeed'). Rashi 
reads the last clause interrogatively, and trans- 
lates it, ' but now shall not all their purposes be 
cut off from them ?' i. e. ' be foiled ;' a menacing 
prediction. 

ubnn is the Infinitive Hiphil with the pro- 
nominal affix D of the third person. Compare 
irbrin (Deut. ii. 31). bb l^.'tb ' nothing will be 
cut off,' i. e. ' withheld.' 



84 CHAPTER XI. (6) -(9). 

JiDP third person plural preterite Kal. Observe 
that DP and DET are two forms of the same verb. 

-T " T 

(7) 'Come on (nin), let us go down and 
confound their language on the very spot' (DP). 
We find here a trace of the ancient doctrine of 
v€fjL€<jis expressed in the adage to Qelov <p6ovep6v. 

The verb r6l3 may be the first person plural 
future Kal of fe with the paragogic n of invi- 
tation (though the more ordinary form would be 
rfrhs like Dill nn'lD in 1 Sam. xiv. 36 from ?D 

T T V T T T -T 

depredatus est), or it may be the preterite Niphal 
third person singular feminine (after the form 
Dn^p-nn njjnj in Isai. xix 3, from pj» 'effudit'). 
In the latter case the translation will be, 'Their 
language shall be confounded;' in the former, 'Let 
us confound their language.' 

WW* lib *W& The verb ynu) means here 
' to understand,' not simply ' to hear ;' as in 

naT-no ynvn *&j imb jnn xb *jj (Jer. v. 15). 

(9) tf^jj sc. xypn 'vocavit vocans,' a species 
of impersonal analogous to the English ' they 
call,' and the German ' man nennt.' See the note 
on Gen. xvi. 14. 

According to the derivation given in this 
verse, bl3.As a contraction of fefci like the Syriac 
xrbril for arfefei and Hrfwifr for xnbbbb On- 



CHAPTER XI. (9), (10). 85 

kelos puts for bbl the verb blbl Another not 
improbable derivation of the word b22 is from 
bl 23. Jj ob 'porta (sive 'aula') Beli.' 

(10) Here the sacred historian reverts to 
the statement of Shem's posterity in the line of 
Abraham, having, in chap. x. 25, stopped at Peleg 
and Yoktan the two sons of Eber, (the latter of 
whom, Yoktan, was the ancestor of an Arabian 
line), in order to narrate the dispersion of man- 
kind which happened in the days of Peleg. He 
now recapitulates the generations from Noah to 
Peleg, and adds to them a summary of those be- 
tween Peleg and Abraham, making in all ten, 
the same number as that of the antediluvian 
patriarchs from Adam to Noah. Precisely as in 
the former genealogy (Gen. v.) the age of each 
patriarch is given at his death, and at the time 
of the birth of the son who stands next to him 
in the list ; only one son of each is named, viz. 
the one from whom Abraham was ultimately de- 
scended; and the descent is unbroken, not a 
single individual in the line failing to have male 
offspring. 

There is a considerable difference between 
the length of the entire period indicated in the 
Hebrew text of this passage, and that in the cor- 



86 CHAPTER XI. (10). 

responding text of the Samaritan Pentateuch and 
of the LXX., these adding a hundred years to the 
age of each patriarch at the birth of the son who 
stands next to him in the list, and so augmenting 
the whole interval between Noah and Abraham 
by many hundred years. "Whether the alteration 
of the original text be on the side of the He- 
brews or the Samaritans it is impossible to say ; 
nor is it a question of very great importance, 
since, as before remarked, a perfectly accurate 
chronology (for astronomical purposes) cannot be 
derived from either account, because the years 
are stated in round numbers without months or 
days. The accordance of the LXX. with the Sa- 
maritan text in this passage, is a strong evidence 
in favour of the latter, since that version must 
doubtless have been made from an ancient and 
approved copy of the Hebrew Pentateuch. 

Among the names in this genealogy, those of 
Shelach and Peleg are remarkable; the former 
signifying * dismission,' the latter ' dispersion,' as 
if in allusion to the gradual spread of the human 
race after the deluge. Seroug is also the name 
of a very ancient Mesopotamian town, in a well- 
watered district, the native place of the hero of 
the Makamat of Hariri. 



CHAPTER XI. (23) — XII. (1). 87 

(23) D\HND is an unusual form. The regular 
form would be &nxn like dv™ and DTEttf The 

• - t : • - t: • - t : 

cause of this anomaly in punctuation is that ' the 
letter K in the middle of a word is usually quies- 
cent,' as it is in the word rvittE the plural of HND 
where we should have expected the same punctu- 
ation as in jrfattf from ruaf 

: tt 

(28) Via ^fa-by is equivalent to TQN \TQ ' in 
his father s life-time.' 

The country here called |nn is probably that 
called by the Arabs ^j^ ' The Hauraan.' 

D^TO2 "TIN is thought by Rawlinson to be 
identical with D'Httb 17 'the city of the Chal- 
daeans,' since the Babylonian alphabet has no 
letter y and N takes its place. He supposes the 
city to have been ' Kar Dunyas' in Susiana. 



CHAPTER XII. 

At this point begins a principal division of 
the book of Genesis, containing the history of the 
immediate progenitors of the Hebrew race. 

(1) ^[b'^b 'Betake thee,' or * begone with 
thee.' Compare the similar phrases ^rrcfes (Jer. 
v. 5), ft 712W8 (Numb. xxii. 34), and ft qjj Some- 



88 CHAPTER XII. (i), (2). 

times there is an ellipsis of ^b in this phrase, e. g. 
"intt Dlpfirta "♦fitf tfrTf? (Num. xxiii. 13), '[Come] 
with me now to another place.' 

The dagesh in the 1 of "iN-jj* ('I will shew thee') 
is probably a substitute for the Nun of emphasis 
in ?p*nN Similar instances are not unfrequent ; 
e.g. T\&b lVi|rnN (Deut. iv. 36), fh\h (Deut. xxiii. 
5), and HOT JTO jaiK *aa (Zach. i. 9). Some sup- 
pose 7K1N to be a contraction for t6 rwna 

■*- T v : - : v : - 

(2) ~b i\byx ' I will make thee become,' &c. 

nam rrm is for nam n^m ' and thou shalt 
be a blessing ;' the imperative being used for the 
future. Compare -m DD for -in| /rajn (Deut. 
xxxii. 50) ; and rprn ^73;^ fern (Gen. xx. 7), and 
Wi Wg rw (Gen. xlii. 18), where rtrn and vrn are 
put for iTnfll and vn.ni 

The phrase 'Thou shalt be a blessing, 1 means 
either ' Thou shalt be [a man of] blessing,' i. e. 
'a blessed man,' or (more probably), 'Thy name 
shall be [used as] a benediction,' since men will 
say, 'The Lord bless thee with the blessing of 
Abraham,' i.e. 'May He bless thee as he blessed 
Abraham.' Compare a phrase which occurs 
several times in this book, ' In thee and in thy 
seed shall all nations bless themselves' 012A1 32 

: t : • ' : 

i. e. ' They shall pray for themselves that they 



CHAPTER XII. (2)-( 5 ). 89 

may be as blessed as thou and thy seed,' i. e. 
'Thou and thy posterity shall be proverbially 
blessed.' To this there is a passage exactly 
parallel in Gen. xlviii. 20. « In thee (i. e. ' in thy 
name,' employing it in a form of benediction) shall 
Israel bless, saying, "May God make thee as 
Ephraim and Manasseh," 'i.e.* Ephraim and Ma- 
nasseh shall be proverbially blessed.' 

(3) ^PP being in the singular number, is 
to be taken collectively to mean 'them that 
curse thee.' The Rabbins say that it is put 
in the singular, while T?t£? 'them that bless 
thee,' is in the plural, to shew that the latter 
should be more numerous than the former. 

nm^n fihEStfD b'3 Sfl 13113 This is usually ren- 

t t-: t : : • * : :■ : • ^ 

dered, ' all nations shall be blessed in thee,' i. e. 
' through thy means,' ' by reason of thee ;' but is 
thought by some commentators to be equivalent 
to "U1 r\2 tolinn (since the Niphal not unfre- 
quently has a reflective signification), i.e. 'all 
nations shall invoke benedictions on themselves 
in thy name,' ' shall pray for themselves that they 
may be as blessed as thou art.' See the note 
on ver. 2, of this chapter. 

(5) W% nwH pssn 'the people (i.e. slaves 
and servants; see Gen. xiv. 21) whom they had 



90 CHAPTER XII. (5)-(n). 

acquired.' nitfy is here equivalent to mp as in 
Deut. viii. 17, 'The might of my hand has gained 
me (*6 rwy) this wealth.' 

(6) ' The place of Shechem ;' i. e. ' the place 
where Shechem afterwards dwelt,' or ' where the 
town of Shechem was afterwards built.' 

( 8 ) P5R sc - fa* ' ne pitched [his tent].' 

(9) gfan Vbn y& * Proficiscebatur ince- 

dendo et proficiscendo,' ' He continued to remove 

from place to place.' A verb followed by two ge- 

rundial infinitives, one of them that of the same 

verb, and the other that of a verb of cognate 

meaning, denotes an uninterrupted continuance of 

the action expressed. See the note on the similar 

phrases 2W) xbn >2& and lien *W N^ in Gen. 
i T i T .. T T T 

viii. 3 and 7. 

The verb yp3 like pT)V above, is peculiarly 
applicable to a Nomadic life, and denotes the mi- 
gration of pastoral tribes, like the Arabic ^ 

(10) "Q2 This verb, which primarily means 
' to be heavy,' is frequently used in the sense ' to 
be great,' just as bbp 'to be light,' often means 
'to be small.' Compare Gen. xiii. 2, 'Abram 
was great 123 (i. e. 'abounded') in cattle.' 

(11) After ynfXl 'adduxit,' we may supply 
•frni* ' his tent.' Compare the use of p/}JT[ in this 
chap. ver. 8. Both are transitive verbs. 



CHAPTER XII. (n)-(i5). 91 

*F\yy The Rabbins translate this, ' I perceive 
that thou art fair [as compared with Egyptian 
women]/ Sarah was at that time 67 years of age, 
but since this was only the middle of her life 
(120 years), and she had as yet borne no children, 
she may still have retained much of her beauty, 
especially as we find that at a much later period 
of her life she attracted the notice of the Philis- 
tines of Gerar so as to be taken away from her 
husband. As a native of Mesopotamia it is 
probable that she was fairer than the sun-burnt 
females of Egypt. 

(13) The last clause of this verse ^23 nrrrn 

' • : - t: t : 

3*feQ is added in explanation of the preceding 
one fltoj?? *h 2W) Ygnb and conveys the same 
meaning, viz., 'that I may not be in danger of 
my life on thy account/ rfhll is synonymous 
with Tpg? 

(15) The name Pharaoh, common to all the 
kings of Egypt mentioned in the Old Testament, 
is derived by the best authorities from an Egyp- 
tian word signifying ' king/ Accordingly we find 
it combined with the name 'Necho/ Gesenius 
thinks that the Hebrews chose to represent that 
Egyptian word by the letters nyna in order to 
give it a Shemitic character, and to connect it 



92 CHAPTER XII. (15) — XIII. (1). 

with the word jna which in Deut. xxxii. 42, and 
Judg. v. 2, signifies ' a captain,' or ' general. 5 

(16) Observe the remarkable collocation of 
the words ' he-asses and men-servants and maid- 
servants and she-asses.' They are spoken of 
indiscriminately as the personal property of 
Abram ; an indication of the condition of slaves 
at that period. 

(19) npM 'so that I might have taken 
her,' &c. The 1 is here used precisely like the 
Arabic <* 



CHAPTER XIII. 

(1) til^n 'toward the south.' It is remark- 
able that Abram on his return from Egypt to 
Bethel, should be described as journeying 'south- 
ward.' This is to be accounted for either by 
supposing that the king of Egypt, mentioned in 
the last chapter, reigned not at Memphis, but at 
Zoan (Tanise), at the eastern mouth of the Nile, 
from whence the first part of the road to Pales- 
tine would be southward ; or by concluding, with 
greater probability, that the word nitin is used 
here not absolutely, but with reference to Pales- 



CHAPTER XIII. (i)-(5). 93 

tine, and means, - toward the district lying south 
(of Palestine],' i. e. toward that part of Idumsea 
(Arabia Petraea), which lies on the road from 
Egypt to Hebron and south of Jerusalem. Ac- 
cordingly in the next verse we are told that 
Abram journeyed from the south to Bethel. 

(2) ill ' was great,' i. e. 'rich.' See the note 
on Gen. xii. 10. 

(3) vyDD ' his stations,' i. e. the places from 
which he set forward (yp3) after halting at each 
of them in his last journey, when he was on his 
way to Egypt; 'the successive stages of his 
former journey.' The same word occurs in Exod. 
xvii. 1. 

(5) tibn'ti This word has the Kholem in 
two other passages, viz., ^rf«4 -Ottfifi^ (Deut. 
xxxiii.), and vhrjitb wti (Sam. iv). It usually 
takes Kametz-Khatuph under the x as in ubn&2 O 
ttttJjn (Jer. xxxv.), and ubn»2 "»Mttfn (Judg. viii.), 
after the analogy of Wip and ahh whose plurals 
are D^ttnp and o^tthn 

• -rV: • tt: 

(6) HIT is a contraction of WIT which has the 
form of a plural noun with the affix of the third 
person singular (like y6y), as though its literal 
meaning were ' conjunctionibus suis,' and hence 
4 conjunctim.' The uncontracted form occurs 



94 CHAPTER XIII. (6)-(io). 

three times in Jeremiah, viz., in xlvi. 12 and 21, 
and xlix. 3. Vid. Buxtorf in "7)T 

(7) ' The Canaanite and Perizzite dwelt then 
in the land.' This remark is probably inserted 
to point out the danger to be apprehended from 
these hostile tribes by Abram and Lot, in case of 
a feud between their respective herdsmen, who 
ought to have been united against their common 
foes, or to imply that such a feud would create 
scandal among their ungodly neighbours. 

(8) D^rw D^Jtf ' avfyes d^\0o/.' This term 
is applied to those who are not actually brethren 
(DTtt*), but connected by friendship, and not neces- 
sarily by consanguinity. So also the phrase in 
verse (11) of this chapter, 'they separated 
VTltfE ttrw' means simply that 'they separated 
from each other? 

(9) n^Kp^l—njp^l The Vaws preceding 
these two verbs express 'consequence,' like the 
Arabic <_j 'then,' 'so.' Both these verbs are in 
the Hiphil, a form which occasionally has a 
reflective signification. 

(10) i§3 is synonymous with n^D e a plain.' 
nr|D Here bb is repeated after "Drr^-JiN to give 
it additional emphasis. Compare D>0 &)) "O^D"^ 
(Isai. xiv.), 'all the kings of the nations, all of 



CHAPTER XIII. (io)-(i 4 ). 95 

them/ (i. e. every one of them without exception). 
npttfz? means literally ' potum praebens.' 

(11) Dipp 'eastwards,' 'e parte orientali.' 
Compare Gen. ii. 8, and iii. 24. 

(12) tiip-1% bnm i.e. 'he removed his tent 
from place to place as far as Sodom,' or rather, 
' he pitched his tent [in one place after another] 
as far as Sodom.' See the note on Gen. xxxviii. (1). 

(13) njrvb D^ipn This may mean either 
'sinners in the presence of (against) the Lord,' 
or, 'sinners exceedingly,' 'very wricked;' since 
tlTih may be used like D^rr^ elsewhere and <d! 
in Arabic, merely to express a superlative. Com p. 
Gen. x. 9, and see the note on np* ^b TX^ma 

(14) pas The North is so called in Hebrew 
because that quarter is the most ' hidden ' from 
the sun, which is always on the southern side of 
the zenith in the latitude of Palestine. 

n& 'seawards,' or, as it is more fully ex- 
pressed in other passages, ' toward the great sea 
(the Mediterranean), westward.' The name of 
the West corresponding with Dip for the East, is 
"Vina 'posterior pars.' See the note on Gen. ii. 8. 



96 CHAPTER XIY. (i). 

CHAPTER XIV. 

(1) Of the eastern 'kings' who are here 
described as combining to reduce the revolted 
princes of the vale of Sodom, Chedorlaomer is 
spoken of as the chief. He was king of Elam, 
(Elymais), a district of southern Media or Susiana 
(whose capital was probably Kar Dunyas), and the 
king of Shinar (Babylonia) is one of three kings 
who accompanied him in this expedition as his 
vassals. Hence we may infer that the cities men- 
tioned in the 10th verse of Gen. x. as the original 
settlements of the Chaldseans in Shinar had not yet 
risen to the importance and independence which 
they afterwards attained. The same may be said 
of the cities founded on the Tigris by the Chal- 
dsean emigrants from Shinar (see the note on 
Gen. x. 11, 12) which were subsequently the seat 
of the Assyrian empire ; indeed Rawlinson thinks 
that the emigration from Shinar had scarcely 
commenced at the time of this expedition. 

If the name of the king of Shinar, Amraphel, 
be of Shemitic origin, it may be derived from the 
verb nDtf with the affix b% (from rte coluit) 
which frequently occurs in the composition of 
Assyrian names, e. g. Asser-adan-pal, Tiglath-pal- 



CHAPTER XIV. (i)-(4). 97 

assar, Nabo-pal-assar, &c. The name of the king 
of Ellasar, Arioch, is common in Median history, 
and is probably the same as Arvac, Arbaces. His 
territory cannot be identified with any certainty, 
but is supposed to be part of Media. 

The fourth king, Tidal, is called Dftil ^bft which 
implies either that several nations (D?in) distinct 
from those subject to the other kings were united 
under his sway, or that his realm included Gali- 
lsea, which was called Djian ^a 

(2) Observe here another use of DK for ny 
in the sense 'to make war with, (i. e. "against") 
an enemy.' 

(3) nin 'combined [against the common 
enemy].' 

DPWn ' the level plains ;' a word derived from 
the same root as the Arabic juo 

(4) With this verse begins a parenthesis ex- 
tending as far as the end of the ninth, after 
which the thread of the narrative is resumed, 
with a description of the vale of Siddim men- 
tioned at the end of the third verse. In this pa- 
renthesis the origin of the war is briefly stated, 
along with the names of the nations and cities 
attacked or subdued by the four Eastern kings 
on their march against the five kings of the plain 

E 



98 CHAPTER XIV. (4)-(io). 

of Sodom. It may be paraphrased as follows : 
' These five kings after having been subject and tri- 
butary to Chedorlaomer twelve years, had rebelled 
against him during the thirteenth year ; accord- 
ingly he summoned three other princes to his aid, 
and marched against them, making on his way pre- 
datory incursions on various powerful tribes, the 
Hephaim, the Zuzim, the Amalekites, the Arao- 
rites, and the Horites (a name derived from l)Tl 
"foramen," Tpa>y\r), since they were "Troglodytae," 
living, like the Kenites, in rock-hewn habita- 
tions). As soon as he reached the revolted 
district, its five chieftans, (called here 'the kings 
of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Zoar,') 
came out to meet him and his allies, and joined 
battle with them (as already stated) in the vale 
of Siddim.' After this parenthesis of six verses, 
the sacred historian proceeds to relate how the 
rebel kings were defeated, many of their troops 
being lost in the slime-pits of the valley, and 
others escaping to the mountains. 

mD PBttJ mbywbw is equivalent to /wa 

tt tt •• : v t : ■"■ - : • 

VTO nitojrttf^n 'during the thirteenth year they 
rebelled,' as in other cases where there is an 
ellipis of 1 See the note on Gen. xv. 16. 

(10) 'The vale of Siddim was pits, pits of 



CHAPTER XIV. (io)-(i 4 ). 99 

slime,' (or ' bitumen'), i. e. ' was full of pits of 
slime;' (iDn rh$l rhtol being equivalent to 
nan rhxz IDT] rhxz because both the words 

T •• V V T " 

rn**3 are iw construction with *Wi). Com- 
pare pnprt finan ona roaw (Exod. viii. 10), 
'they gathered them by heaps [upon] heaps;' 
DWbn nfon (Judg. xv. 16), 'heaps [upon] heaps;' 
hroa nnhz nrm hx (1 Sam. ii. 3), 'Speak not 
proudly proudly;' D^ia M£ mn ^TOfl nto^ (2 Kings 
iii. 16), 'Make this valley trenches trenches,' (i. e. 
'full of trenches'); yrirn pDyi Mhn D^brr (Joel 
iv. 14), 'Multitudes [upon] multitudes in the 
valley of decision.' Compare also lUn ixn in 
Gen. vii. 19, and xvii. 2. 

(13) tab&i 'those who were escaped,' (if fibs 
be used collectively) ; or ' one who had escaped/ 
since il is not unfrequently an indefinite article ; 
see the notes on Gen. viii. 8, (rravn), and Gen. 
ix. 23, (rteitfn). 

/THl byi 'one in covenant [with another].' 
This use of bjfe is similar to that of ^j in Arabic. 
See the note on b%3. rb%3. Gen. xx. 3. 

(14) pift 'he drew out,' a verb primarily 
applied to a sword, like the Arabic ^ 

!p?n corresponds closely with the Arabic cJjos*. 

E 2 



100 CHAPTER XIV, (i 4 )-(i8). 

and other derivatives of the verb cU>. which 
mean ' trained,' ' disciplined by education/ 

1^2 fify ' the slaves and their offspring whom 
he had brought with him from Haran ;' see Gen. 
xii. 5. Compare Wg in Gen. xv. 3. 

\l~iy_ i.e. 'to the extremity of Israelitish 
Palestine.' Compare the phrase 'from Dan to 
Beersheba,' i.e. 'from one end of the Hebrew 
territory to the other.' It is remarkable that 
this expression should have been employed by 
Moses before the partition of the promised land 
among the tribes. We must therefore suppose 
that he had fixed before his death what that par- 
tition was to be in its general features, and that 
his directions in that respect were afterwards 
fulfilled by Joshua. There appears to be a simi- 
lar anticipation in the 17th verse of this chapter, 
where the valley in which the king of Sodom 
met Abram is stated to be that called the king's 
dale ybfcn-pfc% Compare 2 Sam. xviii. 18. 

(18) ' Melchizedek, king of Salem.' Jeru- 
salem is called ' Salem' in Ps. lxxvi. 3 ; and hence 
Onkelos and the Rabbins infer that Melchizedek 
was king of Jerusalem. The Rabbins say that 
Adonizedek being the only other king of that city 



CHAPTER XIV. (i8)-(2o). 101 

mentioned before its occupation by David, it may 
be concluded that the names of its sovereigns 
were always compounds of ' Zedek.' 

The Yod in pEJStzfrb is paragogic, and inserted 
to connect the two words of which the name 
is compounded, so that it may be capable of 
being pronounced as one word. 

Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine 
doubtless to refresh Abram and his men, after 
their toilsome pursuit of their enemies. 

]nb fflH] The kingly and priestly offices were 
frequently united in patriarchal times. Compare 
jEneid, in. 80, 

'Idem rex hominum, Phoebique sacerdos.' 

(19) np 'the former,' or ' producer,' without 
the sense of 'purchasing' or 'acquiring,' which 
this verb generally conveys. Compare Gen. iv. 1, 
and the note on afnj Wp 

(20) \ybjf bit ' Deus summus,' the title by 
which the Deity is called by Melchizedek is soon 
after used by Abram (see verse 22 of this chap- 
ter), as though adopted by him as a fit appellation 
of the Lord Jehovah, with whose name he joins it. 

||P is a verb Pihel equivalent to jro in this 
and other passages; e. g. Hos. xi. 8, and Prov. 
iv. 9. 



102 CHAPTER XIV. (2o)-(2 3 ). 

JM Commentators are agreed that the sub- 
ject of this verb is Abram, and that the antece- 
dent of the pronominal affix in ft is Melchizedek, 
who in his priestly capacity would receive the 
tithe of the spoils from Abram. To this it 
may perhaps be objected that the change of 
persons is sudden, and that it is strange that 
Abram should have given Melchizedek the tithe 
of spoils which were not his own, but which he 
presently declares with an oath to be the property 
of the king of Sodom, out of which he would not 
accept ' a thread or a shoe-latchet.' 

(21) ttfs^n 'the people/ or 'slaves.' Com- 
pare Gen. xii. 5. 

(22) See the note on ver. (20). 

(23) Dtf is used here elliptically. We may 
supply before it from 1 Sam. xxv. 22, and other 
passages, ft D^rfttf nfejjP rfa ' May God do so [as 
He pleases] to me,' i. e. ' May He inflict on me 
any punishment He may please if/ or 'unless/ 
&c, (as it is expressed by Plautus, ' Di me faciant 
quod volunt.' Most. I. in. 65). It is well ob- 
served by a Rabbinical commentator that after 
the first DN in this verse, we may supply \nnjft 
so that the whole verse may be construed thus, 
'[May God punish me] if 1 have taken (any 



CHAPTER XIV. (23), (24). 103 

thing) from a thread to a shoe-latchet, or if I 
will take (any thing) of all that is thine; that thou 
mayest not say "I have made Abram rich." ' But 
the earnestness and haste of Abram's refusal suf- 
ficiently account for the abrupt and irregular 
construction of the sentence. 

1?W 1)1) tMTO This use of |D and 1% ex- 
presses generally * Whatever is included between 
the two classes of things to which these prepo- 
sitions are severally prefixed;' (see the note on 
Gen. vi. 7). The present phrase therefore de- 
notes ' any thing of the very smallest value, such 
as a thread or shoe-tie.' 

(24) *ij£>3, In every other passage where 
this word occurs with the pathack (or kametz) 
under the 7 it signifies 'except me,' or ' beside 
me/ being formed by the addition to ^jsfci of 
the pronominal affix of the 1st pers. singular, e. g. 
in Gen. xli. 16; Is. xliii. 11, and xliv. 6. In this 
verse it can only be equivalent to ijpbz 'except' 
(with the Tzere), the pathack here not implying 
the pronominal affix any more than the kametz 
does in the words 'O'fcn (Jer. xxii. 14), ni'n (Isai. 
xix. 9), and OTN (Gen. xviii. 3), or the pathack 
in *>TO ntb &c, which are 'plurals of excellence.' 



104 CHAPTER XT. (i), (2). 

CHAPTER XV. 

(1) The latter clause of this verse may be 
translated either 'I will be thy shield, thy ex- 
ceedingly great reward ;' or ' I will be thy shield : 
(compare Psal. xviii. 31) thy reward (i. e. the 
recompense of thy faithfulness) shall be very 
great.' The latter interpretation agrees best with 
the following verse, in which Abram replies as if 
with allusion to the promised reward, * Lord God, 
what wilt thou give me ? since I go childless, and 
have none but a stranger to whom to commit the 
care of my goods,' i. e. ' What avails any wealth 
bestowed upon me, who already have enough, if 
I have no child to leave it to ?' 

(2) Some take •nny i\b)n to be an ellipsis 
for n*jg TVitob S|Mn (compare Gen. xxv. 31), and 
so the LXX. translate ijVin 'ONI diroXvofxai, i. e. 
' discedo e vita,' ' if I am to depart (out of life) 
childless;' but 1\bn is most probably used here 
in the sense ' to walk among the living,' i. e. * to 
live,' as in ^0"j *JJh (Jer. vi. 28), a sense in which 
the Hithpahel of the same verb is frequently em- 
ployed, (see the note on Gen. v. 23), and which 
corresponds exactly with the use of Trepnrarelv in 
the New Testament (e.g. Phil. iii. 18). 



CHAPTER XV. (2). 105 

nnj; 'desolate,' 'childless,' is probably de- 
rived from n-jy ' nudavit.' Its plural Dn*Jg oc- 
curs in Lev. xx. 20. 

pt?D")3 is interpreted by Onkelos, NDriS ni 
'a maintainer/ or 'purveyor;' and by Raschi 
kiTLTpoiro^ 'overseer/ 'steward.' If pwg be de- 
rived from the verb ppw (like DDp from DDD and 
")£>£ from T1D), the compound pttfo"]2 will mean 
'Alius cursitationis,' i. e. 'the overseer,' 'to whom 
the other servants ro% to receive orders,' or 
'who has to run about to give orders and to 
look after the affairs of the house.' If again it 

y * * 

be derived from the Arabic ( jj^ <f ' pectinavit,' 
' polivit,' W2 p????11 will mean * politor domus 
mese.' But Gesenius, whose commentary is the 
best on this passage (see his Thesaurus), regards 
the word pwD as equivalent to Ijttfn ' acquisitio,' 
'possessio' (see Job xxviii. 18), and as used here 
on account of its rhyme with pBW3f Accordingly 
he translates W3, ptift'}! c the heir to the pos- 
session of my house ;' literally ' the son of the 
possession of my house.' This interpretation 
is in accordance with the following verse, in 
which Abram evidently expresses the same idea 
in different words, viz., 'Lo thou hast not given 
me offspring, and a household servant (son of my 

E5 



100 CHAPTER XV. (2)-(8). 

house) is my [only] heir.' In both verses Abram 
complains that he has none but a servant to 
whom to commit the care of his property during 
his life, or to leave it to at his death. 

In "ft)£b$ pttfEf! there may be an ellipsis of 
ttTN before pttfbl for 'a native of Damascus,' or 
pttfft'T may be used here instead of 'tyDEn 'of 
Damascus,' for the sake of the rhyme with pafa 
or the two words may form together one com- 
pound proper name. It should seem that Lot had 
been excluded by Abram from his inheritance, 
probably because he left his uncle to go to Sodom. 

(6) pan is a verb Hiphil formed from the 
noun jpa 4 truth,' and means primarily ' to make 
true,' and hence 'to treat as true,' 'to attribute 
truth to,' * to believe.' 

(8) naanN* *a 'that I shall really inherit it,' 
i. e. ' that my posterity will inherit it.' Compare 
Gen. xlviii. 15, where Jacob is said to bless Jo- 
seph in blessing his sons Ephraim and Manasseh; 
and verse (22) of the same chapter, where Jacob 
says that he took the town of Shechem from the 
Amorites with his sword and bow, whereas his 
sons Simeon and Levi took that place, and are 
cursed by Jacob himself for the cruelty which 
they displayed in so doing. 



CHAPTER XV. (8)-(io). J 07 

It must have been for the sake of his pos- 
terity that Abram required a further confir- 
mation of the divine promise, when he said, 
'How shall I know that I shall inherit it?' 
since in verse (6) we are told that he believed 
God implicitly. 

(9) nwbwn This is the feminine of wbwD 
(the participle passive of the verb Pihel wbw 
tertiavit), and means ' tertiata,' and hence ' trima,' 
i.e. 'tres annos nata.' Some Rabbins errone- 
ously translate r\wbwD nSjy ' three calves,' ' be- 
cause,' they say, rbty means 'a she-calf,' whereas 
'a heifer three years old' is ma and with this 
rendering the Targum of Onkelos agrees. The 
LXX. rightly translate DWhpfi by rpieri^ovra, i. e. 
'trimam.' There was to be only 'one young 
bird,' and similarly ' one bull, one ram, one she- 
goat, and one heifer,' these three last of three 
years old each. 

The word bri> means 'the young of any bird;' 
see Deut. xxxii. (11), where it is applied to the 
' young of an eagle/ 

(10) Hjri The more ordinary form of this 
verb is the construct form 1\)D e. g. "lXTBil }W3 

TO"ttf^ )£)*} 'he placed each portion.' The 
pronominal affix i the antecedent of which is ttpN 



108 CHAPTER XV. (io)-(i2), 

is here purely idiomatic, and to be omitted in 
translation; which is probably the case also in 
the phrase TTTtf ttfa* TD (Gen. ix. 5). 'From the 
hand of each brother,' i.e. 'from the hand of 
every fellow-creature.' 

vwn 'its neighbour,' i. e. 'its fellow,' i. e. 'the 
other half of the same animal.' 

(11) God was about to enter into solemn 
covenant with Abram, who here performs the 
rites usually practised on such occasions, when 
the parties entering into agreement slew vic- 
tims, and after dividing them in twain, passed 
between the portions, meaning thereby that they 
hoped that whoever of them violated the cove- 
nant, might be cut in twain like those animals. 
On this occasion Abram himself passed between 
the pieces, when he arranged them and drove 
away the birds of prey; and a lamp and a 
smoking furnace were afterwards seen by him to 
pass between them, indicating the more immedi- 
ate presence of God, who thus on his part sig- 
nified his ratification of the covenant. 

The literal meaning of ittP (from 3tt?:j) is 
'blew them away.' 

(12) vn is to be construed with the words 
rbsi flBTlfil 'it came to pass that a deep sleep 



CHAPTER XV. (12), (13). 109 

fell,' not with x)2b ttJDt^n which must be taken 
as in parenthesis, 'sole ad occidendum [appro- 
pinquante],' the Vaw before ilD^ii being that of 
transition as in HD3 DTfeKTJ! n ^'? P^^O n ™ *P2 
RTjaJr-JW (Gen. xxii. 1). 

The word nD^-tfi is used also in Gen. ii. 21, of 
the 'sleep/ or 'trance,' in which Adam lay when 
Eve was separated from his side. 

Observe that no^ is not in construction with 
mttfn since its construct form is r»D*N and we must 
therefore supply 1 before rDttJn (as in the Biblical 
phrases rrg DDttf and rJjflpttJ |lttn), or else construe 
the two words as together expressing c a horrible 
darkness,' just as in ver. 17 of this chapter (where 
see the note) ]wy n®n ' a furnace, smoke,' means 
'a smoking furnace;' and vx TBb 'a torch, flame,' 
means ' a flaming torch.' 

(13) This prophecy is the prelude of the 
solemn covenant about to be made by God with 
Abram, (see ver. 18), which was formally ratified 
by the passage of Abram on the one part, and 
of the furnace and flaming torch on the other, 
between the parts of the slaughtered victims. 

DT71JQ There is little doubt that this means 
'they shall enslave them,' or 'they shall treat 
them as slaves,' (the subject of this verb being 



110 CHAPTER XV. (13). 

the same as that of the following ^y 'shall 
afflict'), and that it is equivalent to Dill niy in 
Exod. i. 14, which means ' Sibi servierunt per 
eos,' ' they employed them as slaves ;' (see Bux- 
torf in "Dy). Such is the translation of Onkelos, 

fin! ]Tbpi and of the LXX., ( SovXcoacocnv avrovs? 

from which some have supposed that the original 
reading in this passage was DITOgrn since the 
verb 12% when used in the above sense in Kal 
is usually followed by 2 with the pronominal 
affix. If, however, we choose to translate it here 
as it must be rendered in the next verse, 'to 
serve/ and DT73g ' they (the seed of Abram) shall 
serve them (the Egyptians),' the change of persons 
between this word and si3y w T ill be sudden, but 
not more so than in many passages of the Bible, 
e. g. 1 Sam. i. 7, and 2 Sam. xi. 13. The ver- 
sion of the LXX. of this passage is quoted by 
St Stephen in his address to the Jewish Sanhe- 
drim, as follows : '''Eo-rai to crTreppxa gov nrapoiKov 
ev yfj aXXorpia, Kal §ov\wgov<jiv avro Kal KaKwcrovaiv 
errj rerpaKooria. 

The 'four hundred years,' during which the 
Hebrews were to remain in servitude to the 
Egyptians, probably correspond with the 'four 
generations' (nrfT J^")**) during the last of which 



CHAPTER XV. (13H15). Ill 

it is predicted, in verse 16, that the Exodus was 
to take place. Some commentators have endea- 
voured to remove the difficulty involved in the 
length of this period of 400 years, by supposing 
it to include the time of the residence of the pa- 
triarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in Palestine ; 
but this is a vain attempt to reduce the language 
of prophecy to the rules of chronological accu- 
racy. The Hebrew 1)1 signifies here (like the 
Arabic Jj^ 'sseculum') 'the ordinary period of 
human life,' which might at that time be rec- 
koned in round numbers as at least ' a hundred 
years/ so that ' four generations ' would be equi- 
valent to more than four hundred years ; a cal- 
culation not far from the truth, since we find 
that the ages of the father, grandfather, and 
great-grandfather of Moses, all of whom passed 
their lives in Egypt, were respectively 137, 130, 
and 137 years, and Moses himself (who belonged 
to the ' fourth generation ') was eighty years old 
at the time of the Exodus, and lived to the age 
of 120 years. 

(14) \i The participle active Kal of ]V7 is 
used here for the first person future. 

(15) This verse relates to the conclusion of 
Abram's own life, and may be regarded as paren- 



112 CHAPTER XV. (15), (16). 

thetical in the prophecy. Compare the conclusion 
of Tiresias' vaticination to Ulysses (Odyss. xi. 135) : 

Bctvaros Be toi i£ aAo? avrov 
'A/3\»7^j0O9 juaAa to?os eAeuo-ercu, 6's /<€ <re Tretyvrj 
Tqpci vtto Xnrapco dprifxevov, dfx(p\ Be Aaoi 
"0\/3tot ecra-ourai ' TCihe toi vrjixepTea. eipia. 

(16) 1)1) The preposition 1 is frequently 
omitted before nouns of time where no exact 
time is indicated, as in Gen. xiv. 4. tTW% t^ttfl 
rnD rm> 'and during the eighteenth year they 
rebelled.' Similarly the present passage must be 
rendered ' and during the fourth generation they 
shall return,' &c. See the note on verse (13). 

^n i. e. ' the fourth generation from Jacob's 
sons who went down to Egypt.' See 1 Chron. 
xxiii. 14. 

mri Such is the paucity of the Hebrew lan- 
guage, that this word is used in the same verse 
in two different senses, viz., ' hither,' and ' now,' 
as an adverb of place, and as one of time. 

tbp'tib i. e., c the Amorites are not yet ripe 
for punishment.' Compare Deut. ix. 5, ' For the 
wickedness of those nations the Lord doth drive 
them out before you.' 

The Amorites are here mentioned as being 
the principal of the seven nations who were 



CHAPTER XV. (16), (17). 113 

driven out and dispossessed by the Israelites. 
Comp. Amos ii. 9. 'I destroyed the Amorite 
from before them, who were as great as the 
cedars.' 

(17) Construe 'And it came to pass when the 
sun had set and there was thick darkness, that 
lo ! a smoking furnace and burning torch passed.' 
As in ver. (12), nti is not to be taken with the 
words immediately following it, but with njrn 
this 1 being one of transition. The word n**! is 
shewn to be the third person feminine preterite, 
and not the participle feminine, by its accent on 
the penultimate. If it were the participle, the 
translation would be, ' when the sun was setting,' 
which would be inconsistent with the following 
clause, 'and there was thick darkness.' The 
apparition of the furnace and torch took place 
after dark, that they might be the more conspi- 
cuous to Abram, who saw them actually, and not 
in vision, the deep sleep or trance coming upon 
him after he had seen them. 

Jtyjf nnuri ' a furnace, smoke,' is equivalent to 
* a smoking furnace,' just as w$ Tib ' a torch, 
flame,' is to 'a flaming torch ;' these words *VQFi 
and TS& not being in construction with those 
which follow them. See the note on ver. 12 of this 



114 CHAPTER XV. (17), (18). 

chapter, and compare HDr6p rirjfl iSK HDH (Isai. 
xLii. 25), 'fury, his anger, and might, conflict;' 
i. e, ' his furious anger, and a mighty conflict.' It 
has already been stated that this furnace and 
torch were the indications of the more immediate 
presence of the Deity passing between the pieces 
of the slaughtered victims, in token of the ratifi- 
cation of the covenant about to be made with 
Abram. Some commentators say that the fur- 
nace and the torch were severally senigmatical, 
the former of the fiery affliction of the Israelites 
in Egypt (see Deut. iv. 20, and Jer. xi. 4), and the 
latter of their liberation, like the pillar of fire 
which led them through the desert. 

(18) rvniL rns 'cecidit foedus.' We have in 
this word ma another allusion to the ancient 

-T 

form (see the note on ver. 11) of concluding a 
treaty or covenant, by cutting up victims. Com- 
pare the classical phrases, ' opKia Tmveiv? 'fcedus 
icere,' sive 'ferire.' 

D-Q&VIN one of the numerous instances in 

t : - 

this book of the use of n$ for Dy 

It does not appear that the Israelites ever 
extended their dominion to the limits here pro- 
mised, except under the three first kings who 
united all the tribes under their sway, and were 



CHAPTER XV. (18) — XVI. (9). 115 

therefore able to maintain a larger army than 
their successors. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

(2) miK either 'I shall be built up' (i. e. 
' my house shall be built up and established by 
my having children'), or ' I shall have a son' (if 
this verb be irregularly formed from \i ' a son'). 

(3) ntfiW primarily means 'woman' (see the 
note on Gen. ii. 23, where it is derived from vfcti 
as its feminine, the dagesh in the v) being a sub- 
stitute for the Yod which is dropped), but here 
1 wife.' Compare the use of 'femme' in French. 

(5) tp^y *»pDn literally ' my wrong (or ' in- 
jury') is upon thee;' i.e. 'satisfaction for the 
wrong done me is due from thee;' 'upon thee 
lies the blame of the wrong done to me.' Com- 
pare Jer. Li. 35, fca by ">pEn The use of by here 
is the same as that of ic in Arabic, when it is 
meant that the liability to a penalty or debt 
rests upon the person who has incurred it ; just 
as ( J) is used when a debt or penalty is said to 
be due to the person who has a right to exact it. 
See the note on Gen. xxx. 28. 

(9) ^yjnn 'submit to ill-treatment from her.' 



116 CHAPTER XVI. (9H12), 

Compare the use of the Pihel of the same verb 
in verse (6) of this chapter ; fPgJH? ' she ill-treated 
her/ 

(11) fi-fr The Rabbins and Buxtorf say 
that this is an anomalous form composed out of 
the masculine participle active lb\ of "ftj ' peperit' 
by the addition of the feminine suffix fi and 
that it is used here as a verb feminine in the 
sense ' thou shalt bear (a son)\ But it is more 
probably a form of Frfc the feminine participle 
active (like ybD for Ifbti), in construction with 
)2 signifying ' [is] about to bear (a son)' ; com- 
pare Gen. xviii. 1 5, \1 mto ' and to Sarah [shall 
be] a son;' and see the note on Gen. xvii. 19, 

' - ' : V V t T T 

(12) DW *ns 'a wild man,' literally, 'a wild 
ass [of] a man.' 

WW ^S" 1 ^ ptt^ ' He shall dwell eastward of 
all his brethren ;' literally, ' before/ or 6 in face 
of all his brethren.' It has been already stated 
that the East is called Dip and the west ""fin** 
because they are respectively 'before' and 'be- 
hind' to one facing the rising sun. Compare 
Gen. xxv. 18 ; where it is said of the same Ish- 
mael b*n twfe W^JJ ' He fell (i. e. ' his lot fell,' 

-T T V T ■•!_'• ** X 

or rather ' his territory lay and was situate' ) be- 



CHAPTER XVI. (12), (13). 117 

fore, i. e. eastward of all his brethren/ the other 
sons of Abram. In Josh. xv. 8, "02"^; is used as 
the converse of nDJ sea-ward (i. e. westward). 

(13) **b bit flris? ' Thou art the God of seeing;' 
i. e. ' Thou art the God who revealest thyself to 
mortal sight ;' since Hagar supposed the angel to 
be an apparition of the Deity. The word *>*n is 
a verbal noun from n^n signifying ' vision,' ' the 
act of seeing,' of the same form as ^ (from ray) 
' affliction,' >fti (from rtm) ' silence,' ns ' balsam/ 
&c. (without any pronominal affix). It has been 
erroneously rendered ' who seest me/ as though 
it were the participle HN") with the pronominal 
affix \ of the first person; but this would be "ONh 

The words of Hagar *in nrm wan ribn uxi 
are to be translated, ' Do I then live here (i. e. 
am I then here alive and beholding the light of 
day ?) after seeing [a vision of God] V It was 
believed that no man could see God and live, and 
Hagar thought that she had seen God. Compare 
Gen. xxxii. 30, 'I have seen God face to face, 
and [yet] my life is preserved ;' and Judg. xiii. 
22, 'We shall surely die, because we have seen 
God ;' when an angel of the Lord had appeared 
to Manoah and his wife. dVt means ' here.' Ob- 
serve that '•an ' seeing/ takes the form *iii at the 



118 CHAPTER XVI. (13) — XVII. (1). 

pause both here and in the following verse, just 
as ^ becomes •gy in «oy nrb (Deut. xvi. 3). 

(14) *n|5 sc. ftrtipil ' vocavit vocans,' a sort 
of impersonal which occurs elsewhere in Genesis. 

Nsh *f6 "}*t? 'puteus viventis aspectus/ i. e. 
' the well of the living vision ;' (*? being the sign of 
the possessive case) ' the well where a vision of 
God has been seen by one who is still alive ;' or, 
more probably, ' puteus viventis, visionis,' which 
expresses the same idea more abruptly. A 
strictly grammatical construction is perhaps 
scarcely to be looked for in the name of a well, 
which was intended merely as a compendious 
memorial of what had occurred there. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

(1) *ra? This name of the Almighty occurs 
here for the first time. Its form is the ancient 
plural of excellence of which *>TM and nitf are 

t -: - t 

also instances. Its signification is either 'most 
mighty/ {iravroKpaTwp as the LXX. render it; 
compare the Arabic Ifc 'robore valuit'), or 'all- 
sufficient/ from TTtsrfy 'qui est sufficient sc. 
'ad omnia qua? vult prsestare/ 



CHAPTER XVII. (i). 119 

*$b ^nr\n 'Walk, (i.e. live, vepnrarel) be- 
fore me,' i. e. ' as in my presence/ and ' with a 
constant regard to my will.' Compare ^nnn 
fosb tfYnk (Gen. xlviii. 15). The verb tfgnm 
when used in this sense may be followed by 
^rnS or by jtin alone, as in Gen. v. 23, where 
see the note on this phrase. It is exactly equi- 
valent to irepnraTeiv, as frequently used in the 
New Testament, viz. in the sense ' to live.' See 
Psal. xii. 9, ' The wicked live (p^nrv) all around 
me,' and compare the note on Gen. xv. 2. 

D^jn rTjnj has been rendered, 'and be thou 
perfect;' but the imperative is most probably 
used here for the 2nd person future, this clause 
expressing a condition dependent on the former 
one, which, together with it, may be rendered 
Walk (live) as in my presence, and so thou shalt 
be upright (blameless),' i. e. ' by living as in my 
presence thou wilt be blameless.' (Concerning 
DJi 'integer morum,' see the note on Gen. vi. 9). 
As other instances of the use of two imperatives, 
of which the latter preceded by ) is equivalent to a 
2nd person future, and expresses a consequence 
dependent on the former, compare 2Wtl n^yi 
WTJ WRTrtWto (Gen. xx. 7), ' Restore the man's 
wife, and [so thou shalt] live ;' i.e. 'if thou restore 



120 CHAPTER XVII. (i)-(5)« 

the man's wife, thou shalt live ;' m &% m (Gen. 
xlii. 18), 'Do this, and [so ye shall] live,' i.e. 
'if ye do this, ye shall live; and Pro v. iv. 4, 
'Keep my commandments, and [so thou shalt] 
live ;' i. e. 'by keeping my commandments, thou 
shalt live.' In all these passages the Vaw corre- 
sponds with the Arabic <_J and expresses a con- 
sequence. 

(2) ixn tkd For instances of similar repe- 
titions, see the note on Gen. xiv. 10. 

(5) ^DtthnN an^ *ib Here again (as in Gen. 
vii. 23, where see the note) flK occurs before the 
subject of a verb Niphal, as though it were the 
sign of a nominative case, We must conclude 
either that anp^ ' vocabitur,' is equivalent to 
!)KHp! ' vocabunt,' so that the clause may be ren- 
dered, 'they shall not call thy name, &c. ;' or 
that na is inserted (because the subject follows 
the verb) to point out distinctly the noun to 
which the verb refers, (just as ^j\ ' that is to say/ 
is used in Arabic) ; thus; 'It shall not be called any 
more, that is to say thy name, Abram.' Similarly, 
VTft^rn** W (Gen. xxvii. 42) may be rendered 
either, ' and they told Rebekah the words, &c. ;' 
or, 'and it was told to Rebekah, that is, the 
words, &c.' The same remarks apply to \hr\\ 



CHAPTER XVII. (5)-(io). 121 

V^TTUS (Numb. xxvi. 55), ll?"-n^ Dtp] *6l (Dent. 
xx. 8), and Gen. vii. 23, xxi. 5, 8. 

D""QN means ' exalted father' (d^ 2N), but 
Dmi& 'father of a multitude/ 

t t : - 

D?tft T^Jta ' I w ^l »we*0 thee become nations ;' 
i. e. 'I will cause many nations to spring from thee 
as thy posterity.' Compare Gen. xlviii. 4, Isai. xlii. 
6, and xlix. 6, where )JTO followed by b has the 
same signification. Similarly the verb rrn follow- 
ed by b means 'to become;' see Gen. xviii. 18. 

(8) *fnip\n^ 'the land of thy sojourning/ 
i. e. 'the land where thou sojournest.' 

tfriy Observe that this word, to which the 
Greek alwv and Latin 'sevum' correspond, does 
not denote 'eternity,' or even 'perpetuity,' but 
'an indefinitely long period/ for the Hebrews 
have long ceased to be in possession of the land 
which was thus promised to Abraham's posterity 
as tfriy r\mst 

' And I will be their God/ i. e. ' the God who 
is peculiarly favourable and propitious to them.' 
Compare Tibullus, Lib. in. Eleg. in. 28 : 

'At si pro dulci reditu quEecunque voventur 
'Audiat aversa non mens aure Deus.' 

(10) b)ftn ' circumcidi/ the infinitive Niphal 

of toa 



122 CHAPTER, XVII. (n)-(i4> 

(11) nttfarjitf tifibfi) ' Ye shall be circumcised 
as to the flesh &c.' This construction, which is 
repeated in verses (14), (24), and (25) of this 
chapter, is somewhat analogous to the use of DN 
in ver. (5) above, (where see the note), since the 
clause might be rendered, 'Ye shall be circum- 
cised, that is to say, your flesh.' 

(12) r\)2 ',lfo 'natus domi,' sc. 'verna,' 'a 
slave born in the service of his master.' Compare 
Gen. xiv. 14, and \nU"|? in Gen. xv. 3. On the 
contrary, ^p5 ropE is 'a purchased slave, not 
born in his master's family.' 

(13) 'My covenant shall be in your flesh;' 
i. e. ' the sign and token of it shall be there.' 

(14) nJTTDin The Vaw is that which ex- 
presses a consequence, like the Arabic i_j 'then 
that person shall be cut off from among my peo- 
ple.' It is not stated whether this ' cutting off" 
was to be by the hand of man, or of God. The 
latter is most probably intended. Compare Lev. 
xx. 5, ' I will set my face against that man, and 
will cut him off/ infi* WDrn and Lev. xxiii. 30 ; 

and observe that e^oXeOpevcrerai e/e tov Xaou is the 

rendering of the LXX. of the phrase t&hlN "Oil a 
lay? (Deut. xviii. 10) quoted in Acts iii. 23, 
where God declares that He will Himself exact 



CHAPTER XVII. (i 4 )-( 2 o). 123 

punishment from those who should despise his 
prophet. 

(15) The name nitf is a plural expressive of 
excellence, like ^w (see Gen. xvii. 1). It means 
'noble,' and is of the same derivation as the 
Arabic j^ 'generosus fuit,' and the Hebrew 
*W 'princeps.' The new name of Abraham's wife 
rnitf signifies 'mulier prolifera/ 'fsecunda,' and 
is probably of the same origin as the Arabic 
Aj* ' numerosam prolem habuit.' 

(17) Din The interrogative n is repeated. 

(18) Abraham desires that the favour of 
God might be bestowed upon Ishmael, thinking 
it improbable that he should have other offspring, 
nor desiring it, if only Ishmael might inherit the 
promises. 

(19) n yb rrfr mb * Sarah is about to bear 
\ / > .. < . .. v T T 

thee a son.' The participle active feminine of 
T7> is used here with a future signification, like 
jjrtp in Gen. xvi. 11, which is thought to be a 
form of rrb? in construction with ]l like f?D from 
l\bn See the note on that verse. 

(20) b)l% i)2b Wfti ' I will make him become 
a great nation.' See the note on ver. (6) of this 
chapter. 



F2 



124 CHAPTER XVIII. (i)-(3). 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



(1) After arc* there is an ellipsis of 1 as in 
Gen. xxxviii. 11, '•pia jtq *n» and in ver. 10 of 
this chapter bnxn runs njJDttf < listening at the 
door of the tent.' 

UVn Dh is the converse of Dl'Tf nn ' the cool 
of the day,' in Gen. iii, 8. 

(2) Thy MB? « standing before him,' or ' by 
him ;' * astantes ei.' Compare V71j6 b^W iD^h 
fbp D^-n ' and Saul said to his servants who 

r'r • t • - 

stood before him ;' \n»H"^3 lTWfy l&Tin * he 

7 ' v t t t ' -: - ■■ - : • 

stood before the Lord of the whole earth' 
(Zech. vi. 6); and pr6j{ nin)wr6 * to bow before it' 
(Lev. xxvi. 1 ). Among those who live in tents in 
Arabia a stranger desiring hospitality does not 
solicit it, but stands by waiting to be invited. 

(3) The form *rw (with the Kametz), a 
plural of excellence (like fffl and nttf), is not 
used except as a name of God, the vowels being 
those adopted in the pronunciation of the word 
HOT and on that account the Masorites attach 

t : 

the note tthp ('holy') to it, in this place and in 
the 18th verse of the next chapter, to prevent its 
being mistaken for tfw ' my lords,' which is used 



CHAPTER XVIII. (3M5). 125 

in addressing angels or men, and to which they 
accordingly attach the note b)H ('profanum') in 
Gen. xix. 2, to distinguish it from "Ola which 
occurs in the same chapter. 

Abraham here addresses One of his three 
visitors by this august title, probably that One 
whom he perceived to be the principal person of 
the three, with a presentiment that he was ad- 
dressing Jehovah himself. Gideon (in Judg. vi. 
15) uses the same title in replying to one whom 
be afterwards found to be a Divine person ; but 
the Masorites have omitted to append a similar 
note in that place, because there is not the 
same risk of mistake as in the present passage. 
In this verse Abraham addresses only that One 
of the three angels whom he entitles *>p$ while 
in the next he speaks to them all in the plural 
number, e. g. Wb$l WVn ; and the conversa- 
tion is afterwards carried on with Abraham 
sometimes by that One, and sometimes by the 
Three together. 

' If I have found favour in thy eyes,' is equiva- 
lent to, * If thou wilt grant me a favour,' ' si quid 
a te impetrare possim/ 

(5) uplb nj?D ' fulcite cor vestrum ;' 'strength- 
en' or ' refresh yourselves 1 by taking food. Com- 



126 CHAPTER XVIII. (5). 

pare Psal. civ. 15, tjjd* tWiril^ erf? 'bread that 
strengthens man's heart,' i. e. ' that refreshes 
him.' 

The words ^ijM? nn& are parenthetical, the 
adverb ]5"^"'»3 referring to WDlb ^D and the 
meaning of the passage is this, 'Refresh your- 
selves with food, (after which you may proceed 
on your road), since you have passed so near me 
(your servant) ;' i. e. ' I cannot permit you to 
proceed till you have refreshed yourselves with 
food, since you have thus visited me on your 
road;' by_ having the same meaning as in the 
phrase yb^ D* 1 !^ in ver. (2) viz. ' close by ;' ' be- 
fore.' Compare the use of )5"^"^ ' quandoqui- 
dem,' in Gen. xxxviii. 26, ' She is more righteous 
than I, since I did not give her to Shelah (as I 
ought to have done), [so that she has excuse for 
her conduct] ;' Gen. xix. 8, ' Only to these men 
do no hurt, since they have come under my roof/ 
i. e. 'since they are under my protection and 
hospitality I must not permit you to injure them ;' 
Gen. xxxiii. 10, ' Thou wilt accept my offering, 
since I saw thy face as though it had been the 
face of an angel, and thou wast favourable to me 
(acceptedst me) ;' and Psal. xlv. 3, ' Since God 
hath blessed thee for ever.' The rendering of 



CHAPTER XVIII. (5)-(io). 127 

grtjjpa 'for therefore,' or 'therefore,' is inad- 
missible. 

(6) HND is ' a small measure,' about a ' pint ;' 
rbb ' flour ;' nop. ' wheat / m" -ly < cakes baked in 
the ashes/ 

(8) n^pn is not 'butter/ a preparation al- 
most unknown in the East, but 'sour milk,' or 
'milk curdled with rennet,' such as the Arabs 
call ij Compare the Arabic U>. ' spissum fuit 
lac/ 

(10) 'I will surely return to thee' (i. e. 'I 
will again visit thee with special favour in giving 
thee another son') iTn nys In this phrase 2 is a 
preposition of time, and 3 is put for H3 and 
shews that T\g to which it is prefixed is not in 
construction with the following word, (as it is in 
..2^rnn?B nys Dan. ix. 21), but that we may 
supply after it an ellipsis of ,n**-rn and translate 
it ' at the same time,' ' at this very time,' (as in 
Di s 2 Gen. xxv. 31, 33, and 1 Sam. ix. 27 and 13, ' on 
this very day,' and mn Di*2 Gen. l. 20, where the 
ellipsis is supplied ; rvyrp Numb, xxiii. 23, ' at this 
very time ;' "im Jiys Exod. ix. 18, and 1 Kings 
xix. 2, ' at this very time, to-morrow,' which is 
more fully expressed in n&rn r\%5 nrp Josh. xi. 6, 
'to-morrow at this time/ where r\&in is supplied): 



128 CHAPTER XVIII. (10). 

n*n n^s is therefore equivalent to rrn fttfjr? rijte 
and may be translated either (1) 'At this very 
time in your life/ i. e. ' at this very time [of the 
next year], you being still alive/ 'quando vos 
omnes eritis superstites,' (which is the version of 
Rashi and Aben Ezra, and of the Targum of On- 
kelos (p»*g pfiNH) both here and in 2 Kings iv. 
16, 17, where the same phrase is employed in a 
similar prediction of the birth of a child) ; or (2) 
'hoc ipso tempore redivivo,' i. e. 'hoc ipso tem- 
pore in anno redivivo' sc. 'redeunte,' as Genesius 
renders it, quoting the analogous expression in 
chap. xvii. 21, rnn»n njtta mn lyisb where, as he 
observes, nrn Tjrisfc * at this very season,' seems 
to correspond with nys 'at this very time' (in 
the present passage), and JVJHWI njtste 'in the 
following year' to HTJ Some commentators, de- 
parting from the true meaning of ng3 demon- 
strated by the above parallel passages, translate 
this phrase ' as at the time of thy vigour,' i. e. ' as 
at the time of thy life when children were likely 
to be born to thee;' and others, 'at the usual 
time in life,' i.e. 'at the usual time for a child to 
be born after conception,' a version rendered 
plausible by the consideration that had the pro- 
mised son been born sooner than after the period 



CHAPTER XVIII. (io)-(i 4 ). 120 

that usually intervenes between conception and 
birth, it might have been doubtful whether his 
birth was the fulfilment of the divine promise, 
and whether his conception in Sarah's womb had 
not taken place before the promise was made. 
But the first translation of this most elliptical 
phrase is to be preferred, and is "adopted by the 
best and most ancient authorities. Observe that 
n*T] may be either a substantive as in Ezek. vii. 
13, or an adjective as in Lev. xiv. 6. 

Before njns we must supply 3, after ittfi as in 
the first verse of this chapter. 

(11) D*»p*5 X3. 'setate provectus;' LXX. wpo- 

j3ej3r)K(os rjfxepwv. 

6 Desierat esse Sarse consuetudo (rnN ' via) ut 
mulieribus [puerperis] .' 

(12) nY]% is rendered by some ' pleasure,' 
i. e. of the senses ; and by others, * the time of 
vigour,' ' the aK/mt) of youth.' 

"OHN as well as tyl is a title applied by women 
to their husbands, like the Arabic ^x^ 

(14) N^n * Is anything too wonderful (i. e. 
'too extraordinary and impracticable') for the 
Lord ?' Such is the signification of the Niphal of 
K^2 when followed by ]D Compare Prov. xxx. 18, 
' Three things *3B£ ^S3 are too wonderful for me.' 



130 CHAPTER XVIII. (14X21). 

Onkelos translates N^SNi by 'tOJTn ' shall any- 
thing be hidden from the Lord?' which would 
give a better sense in the passage quoted from 
Proverbs. 

Concerning fry and ijrto see the note on the 
tenth verse of this chapter. 

(16) ^SpttJf 'They looked towards/ i. e. 'set 
their faces in that direction/ 

Dr&ttfr 'to escort them on the road a little 
way in token of respect/ 

(18) irr is the infinitive of rrn the ) being 
a substitute for n Observe that »rn followed by 
b means ' to become/ just as ]ro followed by b 
means ' to cause to become ;' see Isai. xlix. 6. 

*fcl is the construct plural of ">p 'gens/ 

(19) The 1 in nptth is equivalent to the 
Arabic <_J ' so that/ 

(20) This soliloquy is in the anthropopathic 
style, like other passages of a similar kind in this 
book; e.g. vi. (7), viii. (21), and xi. (6), where, 
as in the present passage, the Lord says, ' I will 
go down to see, &c/ which is not to be taken 
literally. 

B^P ^553 'the CI 7 °f Sodom/ i.e. 'the cry or 
complaint respecting the wickedness of Sodom/ 

(21) nte wyn 'whether they have done al- 



CHAPTER XVIII. (21X25). 131 

together (entirely) according to the complaint 
respecting them/ rfo means ' completeness/ and 
is used adverbially both here and in Exod. xi. 1, 
1 Sam. xx. 33, and Ezek. xiii. 13, to express 'com- 
pletely.' Compare also Jer. iv. 27, ' The land shall 
be desolate, rfttWtf &b rf?31 but I will not make 
it so entirely.' 

r%n$ tib'Uit) ' and if it prove to be otherwise, 
[at least] I shall have ascertained it ;' i. e. ' after 
a near inspection of the place and its inhabitants/ 

(22) Here we find distinctly marked that 
difference between the three guests of Abraham 
which might have been inferred from verse (3), 
where he addresses One of them by the title *yr*$ 
that One being here called rrjiT while the other 
two who proceed towards Sodom are called 
tfttfaa 'men/ 

(24) "a t)»n ' Wilt thou really V Compare 
the use of ^ *)j* ('is it true that?') in Gen. iii. (1), 
where some would supply the interrogative n 
before *)X See the note on that verse. 

(25) r\b nbbn a form of deprecation, is well 
rendered by Onkelos 'qyn ]WI* ' non est tibi fas ;' 
or it may signify 'nefas sit tibi,' since nbbn (from 
the root bbr\) means 'res profana/ pifaXov, 'nefas/ 

JJttha P^? »rrn ' and that the righteous and 



132 CHAPTER XVIII. (25)— XIX. (2). 

wicked should be [treated as] both alike,' (' the 
good like the bad, and the bad like the good;' 
for such is the force of the repetition of D). Com- 
pare njniM ?[ib3 'Thou and Pharaoh are both 
alike ;' jrGD DJJ3 ' the people and the priest shall 
be [treated as] both alike.' 

(27) *r6»in is 'I have wished,' i.e. 'I have 
ventured/ It is the Hiphil of bw 

(30) »r»6 1IT ^ ' ne accendatur (sc. ira) 
domino.' This is clearly an impersonal form. 
Compare }^b *HT] (Gen. iv. 5) (where see the 
note), and the use of the phrase )b n&\ ' He was 
distressed,' in Gen. xxxii. 8. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

(2) tfw with the pathack is the plural of |HN 
'lord' with the affix of the 1st person singular, 
used in addressing persons whom one respects. 
The Masorites here attach to it the note *rin 
'profanum' (i.e. 'not sacred'), to distinguish it 
from ^TH with the kametz, which is only used 
of the Deity (see the note on xviii. 3), and to 
which they therefore attach at ver. 18 of this 
chapter the note Wlp 'holy.' 



CHAPTER XIX. (2)-( 9 ). 133 

\b is equivalent to the Arabic eul> 

(3) hrtp means primarily a ' compotation ;• 
but here * an entertainment/ a * meal.' 

(4) teD3 The Niphal of lip is used here in 
the sense ' circumsteterunt,' ' obsederunt.' 

"nsjap This is either a contraction for »T2j?p 
nzp r 1)1} (Gen. xlvii. 21, and Jer. xii. 12), or for 
n^rr^K nstjjn jp (Exod. xxvi. 28, and xxxvi. 33), 
with which corresponds the phrase air aKpwu ov- 
pavwv €<ds atcpcov avrwu, Matt. xxiv. 31 ; or it may 
mean simply 'from the end' or 'farthest part' [of 
the town], like U$1 ^ in Arabic. 

(5) nyn is thought to be used here in the 
same sense as in Gen. iv. (1) Wttflr'Jitf VT r V°l*}) 

(8) bwQ Wfoafc 'To these men;' b$ being 
here used for n^N as in Gen. xxvi. 3, and 
1 Chron. xx. 8. 

g-^g-vg 'Since they have come under my 
roof, [and I am therefore bound to protect 
them].' See the note on ©"^HS in xviii. 5. 

(9) twhrp&Z Another form ttf| of the Im- 
perative of wn occurs in 2 Sam. i. (15), where, as 
well as in Gen. xxvii. (21), and xlv. (4), it means 
'approach.' Here, however, when followed by 
4ltibn ('ultra,' 'farther on;' see Gen. xxxv. 21) it 
has the opposite meaning, ' retire,' ' go back ;' just 



134 CHAPTER XIX. (9)-(i8). 

as in verses (2) and (3) the verb -rtD which 
usually means 'to retire,' 'to go away,' assumes 
the contrary signification ' to approach/ ' to visit,' 
when followed by htt instead of ]D which it gene- 
rally takes after it. 

(11) TJ3D ' blindness' is said to be a word of 
Sanscrit origin; 'Samvri' meaning 'to obscure.' 

(12) sfpD iy an inverted phrase for ijj ^->D 
' whom hast thou beside V 

(14) Tip 1 ? j'who had taken,' i.e. 'married,' 
not merely 'espoused;' since Lot probably had 
daughters beside the two who 'had not known 
man,' and who were with him when the angels 
constrained him to leave Sodom. The verb mb 

'-T 

is used again in the xxivth and other chapters 
of this book in the same sense, viz. ' to take a 
woman and marry her/ 

(18) «>yrtf It seems very probable that the 
kametz is substituted for the pathack here on 
account of the pause (compare *3B in Gen. xxxii. 
21), since Lot is here addressing both the angels 
(Urb$ "IBS**}), and might therefore be expected to 
call them ^yrtt ' my lords/ as he does in ver. (2) of 
this chapter. But the Masorites observing that 
only one of the angels speaks to Lot in the pre- 
ceding verse, and that Lot replies only to one of 



CHAPTER XIX. (i8)-(22). 135 

them in the following verse, have assumed that 
this one must have been the Lord Jehovah, (be- 
cause he is One of the three who visit Abraham in 
chap, xviii.), and have accordingly appended the 
note tthp to this word *tf7N to indicate that in 
their opinion it has the same signification here 
as in places where there is no pause, viz. a 
name of God, (the form of which is a plural ex- 
pressive of excellence, and the vowels those used 
in pronouncing nfrp See the note on Gen. xviii. 
3). But though Lot sometimes addresses both the 
angels, and sometimes only one of them, there is 
no reason to suppose that either of them was a 
personification of the Deity. On the contrary, in 
ch. xviii. 22, they are both called tftWN as dis- 
tinguished from rriiT who remains talking with 
Abraham ; and in ver. 24 of this chapter we read 
that, as soon as the two angels had forced Lot to 
quit Sodom, ' the Lord rained brimstone and fire 
on the city.' 

(21) *paa rna'tttt ' I have had respect to thee/ 
or ' I will shew consideration for thee,' and ' spare 
thee/ Compare Gen. xxxii. 21, 'Perhaps he will 
shew respect to me/ or ' spare me/ «os xw\ ^tf 

(22) The Niphal of tote is used reflectively, 
like ' se sauver.' 



136 CHAPTER XIX. (30) — XX. (1). 

*Op sc. hnipn as in other passages. 

(31) A commentator remarks on this passage, 
'Narrationem hanc de Moabitarum et Ammoni- 
tarum ortu ex incestu excogitatam fuisse Hebrae- 
orum odio haud improbabilis est conjectural - 

(37) The names of Moab and Ammon point 
to their origin as here described ; iNtto quasi 1ND 
'a patre,' or IN 82\D 'coitus patris' sc. 'cum pa- 
tre,' (or c_J U); and *3y-l5 'quasi ex suo genere 
et sanguine prognatus, nempe ex patre, non ex 
peregrino.' 



CHAPTER XX. 

The events recorded in this chapter bear a 
very close resemblance to those in chapter xii. 
10 — 20, with the difference that Abimelech king 
of Gerar performs here the part of Pharaoh of 
Egypt in the former narrative. It is remarkable 
that Abraham has recourse again to the same 
falsehood, and yet that no allusion is made to his 
conduct on the former occasion. To explain this 
difficulty it has been suggested that the two 
accounts were extracted by Moses from different 
records, and that both relate in reality to the 
same events, an hypothesis supported by the cir- 



CHAPTER XX. (i)-(4). 137 

cumstance that in the former the name rrfrp and 

T 

in the latter the name tfrfw only occurs. 

(2) rn'ttrba it^m ' He said concerning Sa- 
rah.' The preposition bx is used here in a sense 
more usually belonging to by_ Instances of the 
same phrase occur in Psal. ii. 7 and 2 Kings xix. 
32, and with nil instead of ~)DX in Jer. xl. 10, 

- T - T 7 

and 2 Chron. xxxii. 19. 

At the period corresponding to the place in 
the history where this chapter stands, Sarah was 
at least ninety years of age, and yet her beauty, 
as it appears, was still sufficient to attract admi- 
ration. See the note on xii. 11. 

(3) hgl n^5 It is doubtful whether rtyl 
is here simply the feminine of b?2 ' a husband,' 
and means 'a wife,' or whether it is used here 
in the same sense as the Arabic jj and ^j and 
as rb%2 is in the expressions JY»2n rbjte 'mis- 
tress,' or * possessor of the house,' in 1 Kings xvii. 
17, and aforJT^Q 'the possessor of a familiar 
spirit,' in 1 Sam. xxviii. 7. In the latter case, 
b%2 T\b%3. means ' one who has a husband.' 

(4) JifjTi pTO"D| ipn Some commentators 
say that Abimelech expected that his people 
would be punished with him, and prays that an 
innocent nation (fil) might not be involved in 



138 CHAPTER XX. (4) -(9). 

the consequence of his guilt. Others, with more 
probability, think that Abimelech in saying, ' Wilt 
thou destroy righteous people ?' (' des gens inno- 
cens'), means ' Wilt thou destroy such an innocent 
person as me, (who knew not that the woman was 
married?)' 

(6) fan? The ) is a substitute for K in 

(7) This verse contains an instance of what 
has been stated in the note on Gen. xvii. (2), that 
the second of two imperatives is frequently equi- 
valent to a 2nd person future, and expresses a 
consequence of the first. Here iTrn following 
the other imperative ittfn is equivalent to ^Tlft] 
and the passage is to be translated, ' Now there- 
fore restore the man's wife (since he is a prophet 
and will pray for thee), and so thou shalt live f 
i.e. 'if thou restore her thou shalt not die.' 
[Parallel passages are quoted in the note on Gen. 
xvii. (2)]. The second clause of the verse is the 
exact counterpart of the first, viz. ' But if thou 
dost not restore her, know that thou shalt die' 

(9) rwjj WgTtib n^& D^D ' thou hast done 
deeds which should not be done.' This is well ren- 
dered by Onkelos rmj; *ragmi pttf? vh\ m pinijr 
Compare j? TW)p-& (Gen. xxix. 26), 'It should 



CHAPTER XX. (9)-(i6). 139 

not be done so ;' TW^'iib ]2) (Gen. xxxiv. 7), and 
W.WJJJ} & TOK /visa (Lev. iv. 2). 

(11) The Rabbinic commentators say that 
before pn ' only/ we must supply, ' This is a good 
land.' But this is unnecessary if pi be rendered 
'Perhaps.' It is a particle expressing extenua- 
tion or reservation. 

(13) tfrfrg VW ^fin 'God caused me to 
wander,' i. e. 'to emigrate.' The same verb oc- 
curs in the 14th verse of the next chapter. It is 
remarkable that Abraham uses D^pfri* as a plural 
in speaking to Abimelech, as though he chose 
to adopt an idolatrous mode of expression in 
addressing an idolater, which indeed would be 
quite in accordance with the want of moral 
courage indicated by his conduct on this occasion. 
We find however other instances of this anomaly, 
e.g. D\-fra v6» tin Dtt? >3 (Gen. xxxv. 7) ; ovfrtf *3 
&m D^lp. (Josh. xxiv. 19); (compare Hos. xii. 1, 
where DWj3 appears to be synonymous with bit) ; 
SjrijJ nftjj (Job xxxv. 10) and Wfyl b&fe) fttiw) 
(Psal. cxlix. 2.) 

(16) Abimelech said to Sarah, 'Behold I have 
given thy husband a thousand [pieces of] silver ;' 
^■wn il|n The best commentators are agreed 
that the antecedent of NTT is the word sp? which 



140 CHAPTER XX. C16). 

immediately precedes it, and not Ipntf and ac- 
cordingly construe these words, ' Behold it shall 
be to thee ifjna *rm bhb bj?g rife a covering of 
the eyes (i.e. if it be understood literally, "a 
veil") for all who are with thee,' (as though 
Abimelech meant to say that the thousand pieces 
of silver were 'a sum out of which she might 
purchase veils for herself and all her attendants,' 
that she might not, as hitherto, be exposed to 
public gaze, but be decorously veiled as was 
customary for married women); or, (if it be 
understood metaphorically) 'a present to make 
thee connive at and excuse all that has hap- 
pened to thee,' ' a peace-offering to atone for all 
thy wrongs.' 

The last three words of the verse must be 
construed together, (since the accent of }jfiN 
precludes b'2> J"M from being taken with the pre- 
ceding clause), and may be translated in two 
different ways as they are supposed to be spoken 
by Abimelech, or to be a remark of the sacred 
historian. 

In the first case, i. e. if nnpin bb r\$) be 
regarded as spoken by Abimelech, it may be 
translated, ' and thus thou wilt in all respects be 
directed right,' or 'set right ;' (compare the use of 



CHAPTER XX. (16). 141 

JTTDh 'thou hast directed,' in Gen. xxiv. 14, nroii 
being written for firDi the second person femi- 
nine preterite Niphal of r\y at the pause, like 
Jin^ in Gen. xxx. 15) i.e. 'by appeariog veiled 
in public thy conduct will be correct, and thou 
wilt not again be compromised through indis- 
cretion;' or, (if D^y mco signify 'donum pia- 
culare'), 'and thus thou shalt be righted, i.e. 
indemnified for all [that has happened to thee].' 

In the second case, (i. e. if these words be 
regarded as a remark of the sacred historian), 
they may be translated, ' Thus she was corrected/ 
or 'reproved for all [her conduct],' (JinD3 being 
taken to be the third pers. fern. Niphal of nr>J 
see Gen. xxxi. 42, with n instead of n like rin^D 
in Isai. xxiii. 15) ; a sense which would, however, 
have certainly required Jiroi) K^rn bb DM 

On the whole it is probably best to take these 
three words as spoken by Abimelech, and to trans- 
late the passage thus, 'Behold I have given thy 
brother a thousand [shekels] of silver ; let this be 
to thee a peace-offering for all that has happened 
to thee; and thus thou shalt be indemnified 
(righted) for the whole affair.' Observe that the 
) in nroin must be taken as equivalent to the 
Arabic <_J signifying ' thus ' or ' then,' whatever 



142 CHAPTER XX. (16) — XXI. (i). 

translation of the passage be adopted. The Au- 
thorized Version of the passage is unsatisfactory, 

(1) on account of its neglect of the accent, and 

(2) its reference of mn to "-prw since how should 
her brother have been D^JJ rviD2 to Sarah ? 

(17) vrnpK This and the cognate plural 
form with the pronominal affixes as well as the 
uncompounded plural rrinftH are formed as from 
a singular rnp& (like J"niJ). This, however, 
(which would be the regular singular) is always 
contracted into HDN from which also are formed 

T T 

the compounds iflDK sjrm ?HDK &c. 

(18) orrrte lyz "nj 1?J? Compare '> iidj 
11^1 (Gen. vii. 16.) 



CHAPTER XXI. 

(1) 'The Lord visited (iga) Sarah.' 1j?| fol- 
lowed, as here, by an accusative, generally 
means, ' to visit with favourable regard,' e. g. Psal. 
viii. 5. 'What is man that thou art mindful of 
him, or the son of man that thou visitest him?' 
(^lpari \d); and when followed by b% with a 
noun, means 'to punish,' 'to inflict the penalty 
of/ as in the phrase, 'I will visit their sin upon 
them.' By this 'visitation' of Sarah, the pro- 



CHAPTER XXI. (i)-(i2). 143 

phecy of Gen. xviii. 10, ?$H 2nwx iw 'I will 
surely return to thee,' was now fulfilled. 

(5) prnp r\to ibyil Here, as well as in verse 
(8) of this chapter, the subject of the verb 
Niphal is preceded by na an anomaly which 
the Rabbins account for by supposing JiN to be 
used in these and similar passages 'in order to 
specify precisely the noun to which the verb 
refers ;' like the English phrase, ' that is to say,' 
and the Arabic ^\ See the note on Gen. xvii. 5, 
^DttrnN *nj£ vb ' It shall not be called, that is 
to say, thy name, any more, Isaac' 

(6) prj)Z in Kal means here, and in Gen. 
xviii. 12, and 15, 'to smile, from joy or pleasure/ 
Compare Psal. cxxvi. 2, where pinb is used in 
the same sense, viz. ' rejoicing,' ' smiling with joy.' 
Followed by b with a pronominal affix it means, 
'arridere,' 'to smile at,' i. e. 'to congratulate' or 
'rejoice with.' The Pihel of pm on the con- 
trary means 'to deride,' 'to laugh to scorn'; see 
verse (9). 

(12) jn? yb trgp pmo, Literally, '[The 
name] thy seed shall be called [i.e. conferred] 
upon Isaac' pr}^2 *n^ ^b yij [awn] i.e. 'Isaac 
shall be [especially] called thy seed;' he shall be 
called so kcit e^o^, 'par excellence'; and in 



144 CHAPTER XXI. (i2)-(i5). 

a higher degree than his brethren. Compare 
uni s pW tih$) (Gen. xlviii. 16,) ' My name shall be 
called (i.e. conferred) upon them,' i.e. 'they shall 
be called by my name.' The preposition b% how- 
ever, is more frequently used in this very idio- 
matic construction in the place of 2 e. g. *nj?I)l 
rr6}J *D» 2 Sam. xii. 28, * My name shall be 
called (i.e. conferred) upon it,' i.e. 'it shall be 
called by my name,' and sqty; ^nw *np* pi (Isai. 
iv. 1,) ' Only let thy name be conferred upon us ;' 
i.e. 'let us be called after thy name;' whereas 
2 is usually employed in the inverse construction, 
e.g. *Dttfo N"ip?n bh (Isai. xliii. 7), 'every one 
called by my name' or 'after my name.' 

(13) EB^N »iA ' I will make him become a 
nation.' In other passages (e. g. Gen. xvii. 5) |fti is 
used in the same sense as the Hiphil of uw here. 

(14) oitf is the present participle of uw Ob- 
serve that the words PTDpitf b% ub 'Putting [them] 
on her shoulder,' are in parenthesis, and refer 
only to what goes before, since Abraham com- 
mitted Ishmael to Hagar, as well as the bread 
and water, but put only the latter on her 
shoulder, the boy being full fifteen years old. 

(15) ibwft should be rendered here 'she left 
[him] lying'; not 'she threw him.' 



CHAPTEK XXI. (i6)-(i7). 145 

(16) nb 2WR\ 'she sat her down.' Compare 
yb~i\b ' Betake thee, 5 (Gen. xii. 1) ; sfr-rm ' flee 
away with thee,' (Gen. xxvii. 43) ; 4 nrnttf'a ' I 
will get me back again/ (Num. xxii. 34). These 
verbs followed by b with a pronominal affix are 
equivalent to Hithpahels. 

prnn the infinitive Hiphil of prp is used here 
in a gerundial sense and may be rendered ' absce- 
dendo, discedendo,' as in ikD pfflil (Josh. iii. 16). 
Observe that the Hiphil of this verb, like that of 
several others, has that reflective signification 
which more usually belongs to the Hithpahel. 
Compare sipTTVT iib Gen. xliv. 4, ' They were not 
gone far away,' or ' They had not gone far.' 

This gerundial use of the infinitive prnn after 
Itttfn is analogous to that of the infinitives ajip 
and ll'tt? after H2£ ('exivit exeundo et redeundo'), 
in Gen. viii. 7, and of 2W) vbn after tew (' re- 

7 T ' T ••. T N 

dierunt eundo et redeundo') in the third verse 
of the same chapter, where see the note. 

fittfg ■W3D2 ' as [far as] those who shoot with 
a bow,' literally, 'as the shooters of a bow,' i.e. 
1 the distance of a bow-shot.' 

(17) DfX^n 1^2 'in the place where he 
is,' or ' in the condition in which he is,' i. e. ' in 
his present state.' 

G 



146 CHAPTER XXI. (i8)-(2 3 ). 

(18) fe l\?-r\x wnn ' Grasp thy hand 
firmly upon him/ 

(19) pwn and J2ft in ver. (16) of this chap, 
are the apocopated forms respectively of npWft 
and npW after the Vaw conversive. The first 
Sheva in both is quiescent, and the second to be 
only slightly sounded, as indicated by its position 
below the line in ^nfi since when entirely quies- 
cent it occupies the place of the point above it, 
thus y See the note on fr& and fiaj in Gen. ix. 
21 and 27. 

(20) "iJEn-rw DVfy* W ' God was with the 
youth/ i. e. aiding and supporting him. Com- 
pare Gen. iv. 1, where na is used in the same 
sense as DV 

rtt8?B nil W ' and he grew up an archer.' 
nih being the participle of nin 'adolevhV 
nih \T>] must be taken together to mean, 'and 
he was growing up,' i. e. ' he grew up.' The word 
nt^p ' an archer,' occurs only in this place. Kim- 
chi however derives nih from m ' jaculatus est' 
(see Gen. xlix. 23, and Psal. xviii. 15), and trans- 
lates fltpp Hlh ' jaculator arcitenens.' 

(23) Iptftpj-D^ 'that thou wilt not be false;' 
DN is used here elliptically (as it is frequently in 
adjurations and asseverations; see the note on 



CHAPTER XXI. (23X33). 147 

Gen. xiv. 23), and signifies, 'May God inflict 
on me any punishment He may please if, &c.' 
JTO&i >y^ 'b. Tptpi? Dtt ' That thou wilt not deal 
falsely with me or my posterity,' literally, 'me 
and my son and grandson ;' an idiom which oc- 
curs also in Isai. xiv. 22, ' I will cut off the son 
and grandson of Babylon,' i.e. 'its posterity.' 
With ]*0 'films' compare the Spanish 'nino.' 

(24) The Niphal of yittf is used here. It 
means ' to be under an oath ;' ' to have an oath 
imposed upon one.' 

(27) TO ni2 See the note on Gen. xv. 18, 
concerning the origin of this phrase and its ana- 
logy With OpKia T€fXV€tU. 

(31) A Rabbinic commentator says that there 
is an ellipsis of ) before *a because there were 
two reasons for the name 'Beersheba,' viz. (1) that 
'Abraham gave Abimelech seven rams,' and (2) 
' that they swore mutual fidelity there ;' and only 
one of these reasons is expressed in the clause 
beginning with ">3 

(33) D^V ^J is another title of the Almighty. 
Those which have occurred already are DTfrtf 

W#K n j n i *W *>* tffyj ^5 T§ and rff?, 



G2 



148 CHAPTER XXII. (i)-(i3)- 

CHAPTER XXII. 

(1) HD3 frrfe«rn nbxn omnn nna w The 
second Vaw is that of transition, as in ttfotpn W 
ff?S3" HDnnm »inb (Gen. xv.12), 1 where see the note. 

t : t t •• : - : t v ' 

Construe ' It came to pass after these things that 
God did tempt Abraham.' 

(4) NEW ntfapn ova The Vaw conversive 
before tfttP seems to indicate that the clause 

T • 

*uhwn UVl has been transposed by the copyists. 
It may originally have been placed after V^y 
An omission of DDOT or some such verb before 
UY2 is perhaps the most probable suggestion. 

(6) ntatfDn It is remarkable that the segol 
under the D both here and in verse (10) is un- 
affected by the pause of the athnack, where it 
would regularly be changed into kametz, as in 
Tiffi&zh HjjTO (Isai. xxviii. 17). 

(7) The first -)DNh in this verse followed by 
bvf must mean ' talked with' (not ' said to'), as it 
does in Gen. iv. 8, ' And Cain talked with Abel/ 
where other instances of this use of iDtf are ad- 

~ T 

duced in the note. 

(13) tnw "tfTO b*$ Many MSS. have here 
in** in place of nntf If this reading be adopted 
ina bw will mean ' a single ram ;' on which it may 



CHAPTER XXII. (13), (14). 149 

be remarked that since sheep are gregarious, « the 
single ram' must have been specially provided 
for the occasion by divine interposition. Of those 
who prefer the reading "iHK some translate it 
'behind/ (which is usually expressed in He- 
brew by TinN), and others (as Aben Ezra), with 
greater probability, ' after [it had been caught 
in a thicket by the horns]' (Tn*U being the pre- 
terite Niphal); i.e. Abraham saw the ram already 
caught, so that he had no trouble in laying hold 
on it for sacrifice. 

(14) 'Abraham called the name of that place' 
n*n> nVT> ' The Lord will provide,' in allusion to 
the remarkable fulfilment which had just occurred 
of his own words (see ver. 8), ' My son, God will 
provide himself (ib <n$y) a lamb for a burnt offer- 
ing,' a victim having been provided instead of 
his son. 

D1VT nD^ nttftf ' As it is said in the present 
day, 5 i.e. 'accordingly it is still a current saying,' 
hnt rrirr nrn ' In the mount of the Lord it will 
be provided.' Compare the similar phrase ]$ m b)l 
npi£ in Gen. x. 9. The history of Abraham's 
trial gave rise to a proverb current among the 
Hebrews, whereby they were wont to express 
confidence in the same divine providence which 



150 CHAPTER XXII. (14H18). 

had supplied Abraham's need on that occasion, 
and an assurance that God would provide for 
them as He then did for Abraham in the mount. 
The last clause of the verse might be translated 
' In the mount of the Lord [He] will appear,' (i. e. 
'as He did to Abraham'), since nvn\ admits of this 
meaning as well as ' it shall be provided,' and we 
find that the angel who appeared on this occasion 
to Abraham speaks as the Lord himself; e.g. 
when he says, ? Because thou hast not withheld 
thy only son from me' But the occurrence of 
ntf"V; in the sense 'providebit' (not 'videbit') in 
the first clause, makes it sufficiently certain that 
'providebitur' (and not 'videbitur') is the true 
meaning of T\$rs\ (the passive of the same verb) 
in the second. Observe that in (with the pathack) 
is in construction with the following word mm 
and the translation ' In the mount the Lord will 
appear,' is therefore inadmissible. 

(17) 'Thy seed shall possess the gate of 
their enemies.' Those in possession of the gates 
and walls of the fortified towns of a country are 
necessarily masters of it. It is therefore implied 
that their enemies should be in complete sub- 
jection to them. 

(18) Sfjnn CnftJVl 'In [the name of] thy 



CHAPTER XXII. (18). 151 

seed shall all nations pray for blessing,' i. e. 'all 
nations shall pray that they may be as blessed as 
thy seed,' thus mentioning thy posterity in their 
prayers as proverbially blessed, and as those in 
whose blessedness they are desirous to partake. 
Compare Gen. xlviii. 20, 'In thee' (i. e. 'in the 
name of thy sons') shall Israel bless, saying, The 
Lord make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh ;' i.e. 
4 thy sons shall be proverbially blessed, so that 
the rest of the children of Israel shall pray to 
be blessed like them.' (See the note on Gen. 
xii. 3). The use of 2 in these passages is highly 
idiomatic, and differs from its use in the phrase 
]BK tjfa*3 tl?^ (Isai. lxv. 16), ' He shall pray for 
blessings in [the name of] the God of truth ;' i. e. 
6 He shall say, when he prays for blessings, May 
the God of truth bless me ;' thus in the very form 
and wording of his benediction acknowledging 
the true God. In the present passage, on the 
contrary, and that quoted from Gen. xlviii., the 
expression, ' They shall pray for blessing in [the 
name of] thy seed/ means ' they shall say, when 
they pray for blessing, May we be as blessed as 
thy seed! n\)$n bb toinrn ^Jhft is well para- 
phrased by a Rabbinical commentator ihus 1 



152 CHAPTER XXII. (18) — XXIII. (6). 

fc/v pan »na *xhb^p ttod 13ni mfr iq ta 
sjjnn dto-qd 

1$*? IpV. 'in reward for that (i.e. inasmuch 
as) thou hast obeyed my voice.' Compare Matt. 
x. 37, ' He that loveth son or daughter more than 
me, is not worthy of me.' 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

(1) The word mw occurs four times in this 

X ' TT 

verse, as it does also in a similar passage con- 
cerning the length of Abraham's life. It should 
seem that the ages of Sarah and Abraham are 
stated thus specifically on account of their pre- 
eminent dignity as the first parents of the race 
of Israel. Compare Gen. vi. 9, where the word 
nil occurs three times ; and Numb. viii. 19, where 
bNftto E!L occurs five times in one verse. 

(2) yriK nnp < the city of Arbah' was the 
old name of Hebron, so called from Arbah, the 
father of the three giants called Anakim, who 
either founded it or dwelt there. 

(6) tfrfta KHM ' a mighty prince.' The word 
D^rftjN is used here, as in several other passages, 



CHAPTER XXIII. (6)-(i5). 153 

merely as a superlative. See the note on Gen. 
i. 2, ix. 9, and xxx. 8, where similar instances 
are quoted. 

Tfoy-tib 132D WN ' not one of us will withhold.* 

(8) DDtPSrTWK 'with your pleasure' or 'ap- 
probation.' Compare Psal. xxvii. 12, and xli. 3. 
' Give me not into the will (ttJMIL) of my enemy ;' 
and Psal. cv. 22, ' To bind his princes at his 
pleasure' Jittiaia 

1 'b-ty-B 'Intercede for me with.' Compare 
12-^2)3 (Job xxi. 15), 'Let us intercede with him.' 

(9) vbn np? ' The full value in silver.' The 
same phrase occurs in 1 Chron. xxi. 22, 24. 

(13) ^ytm A nflK-Dtf If** 'Verum si tu 
[velis], quseso, ausculta me,' a form of earnest 
but courteous entreaty. *6 is used here abso- 
lutely for ' utinam,' or rather ' quseso ;' and after 
nfitf we may supply some such word as nkil The 
ellipses in the above phrase may perhaps be sup- 
plied in this manner, (run ft A) PKh nflN DK }a 
^tW ' But if thou wilt (0 that thou wouldst !) 
listen to me.' 

(15) 'My lord, a piece of ground of [the 
value of] four hundred shekels of silver, what is 
it between me and thee ? i. e. a piece of ground 
of so small value is not worth debating about ; 

G5 



154 CHAPTER XXIII. (15) — XXIV. (2). 

then [take it] and bury thy dead;' a courteous 
mode of stating the price which (since Abraham 
insisted on purchasing it at its full value) he 
thought proper to put upon the land. 

(16) -%K JftttP 'He consented to Ephron's 
terms.' 

nnhb ^2y exactly corresponds to the English 
phrase, 'current with the merchant;' i.e. 'such 
as merchants ordinarily employ in their trans- 
actions.' 

Verses (17) and (18) must be read together 
without any pause between them, thus Dp ft i 
DiinV m&n 'the field remained to Abraham,' 

t : t : •• :- - 

i.e. 'in his possession;' became acknowledged as 
his permanently, not only by the children of 
Heth, but by all who passed through the gate of 
their city. For another instance of a division of 
verses where the sense is continuous, see Gen. 
xxxi. 48, 49. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

(1) D»DJ1 K2 'provectus setate sua.' See 
the note on xviii. 11. 

(2) im ]|5T The construct form of jg? (like 
713 from tid in Exod. iv. 10) is used here meta- 



CHAPTER XXIV. (2H5). 155 

phorically for 'overseer' or 'prsefect,' 'the senior 
servant.' 

*?5 ^nr) ?JT Krtw It has been suggested, 
with some probability, that this may be a euphe- 
mistic phrase signifying to 'touch the circum- 
cised part' in token of the ratification of a com- 
pact, circumcision being the sign of the inviolable 
covenant between God and Abraham; (comp. 

bWy rim 1 ? DD-rcfti >rna nrm\ Gen. xvii. 13, 'my 
covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting 
covenant'). As an illustration of this suggestion, 
we may notice the resemblance between opKo$ 
and opx^, and between 'testari,' 'testes,' and 
' testiculus.' 

(4) <3 is used here for Dtf *3 ' but/ DK being 
probably omitted on account of the ambiguity it 
would have produced in this passage, which is 
an adjuration, and in which it might therefore 
have implied a negative. See the note on Gen. 
xiv. 23. 

(5) Abraham warns his servant not 'to bring 
his son back into the country from whence he 
(Abraham) came,' though Isaac had never been 
there, except inasmuch as he was 'yet in the 
loins of his father.' Compare Gen. xlvi. 4, ' I will 
surely bring thee up again from Egypt/ i.e. 



156 CHAPTER XXIV. feM 11 )- 

'thy posterity' (where see the note); and Gen. xv. 
16, 'During the fourth generation they shall re- 
turn hither/ where that generation, never having 
been in Palestine but born in Egypt, are spoken 
of as nationally identical with their ancestors. 

(6) ID^rf Aben-Ezra says, that this word, 
with the accent on the penultimate, means ' take 
heed,' * beware ;' but Itifn (Isai. vii. 4) with the 
accent on the last syllable, ' settle on thy lees/ 
'conside super faeces tuas/ a verb derived from 
D'nbtP 'faeces vini/ see Jer. xlviii. 11, &c. 

(10) tt:l TCPTtf Ife-tal 'since all his master's 
property was in his hand/ i.e. 'at his disposal' 
(so that he could take with him as many camels 
as he pleased). Compare "hji jrq fr-e^-tal (Gen. 
xxxix. 4), and B]DV» T2 fr*Tiwrts iq£T (ver. 6), 
from which it is evident that vrm llb-^3 in the 

t -: T 

present verse is equivalent to wfwA ittfK-% ' all 
his master's property.' 

pnna D "?*? ' Mesopotamia/ that part of Aramea 
which lies between the Euphrates and the Tigris, 
called by the Arabs sjj^\ 

(11) ^jig 'he caused to kneel/ as camel- 
drivers do when a caravan halts. It is from this 
verb that the word }niK Gen. xli. 43, (the cry 
before Joseph's chariot) is derived by some 



CHAPTER XXIV. (n)-( 2 3>- 157 

commentators; but it is most probably formed 
from two Egyptian words signifying ' bow the 
head/ 

(12) *50 »3-rnpn 'Cause, I pray thee, [suc- 
cess] to meet me/ i. e. * Cause me to meet with 
what I am in quest of.' Compare Gen. xxvii. 20, 
' Because the Lord caused me to meet with suc- 
cess' Ksh rrirv mpn *& 

tt : t : t': • 

(14) fm ' Let it be that.' 

ftfDh the Hophal of ny ' thou hast directed,' 
or ' assigned.' Compare nroin bb fitfl (Gen. xx. 
16), which may be translated, 'and so in all re- 
spects thou shalt be directed right.' See the note 
on that difficult passage. 

(22) DO means * an ear-ring' in Gen. xxxv. 4, 
but here, undoubtedly, 'a nose-ring,' as appears 
from verse (47) of this chapter, where the servant 
says, he put it ptsk by ' on her nose.' Observe, 
that the bracelets (DH-DX) which he gave her 
weighed twenty times as much as the nose-ring, 
viz. 'ten shekels of gold.' ub\WD means 'their 
weight in shekels.' At this day the Mesopota- 
mian women wear heavy rings of silver or gold 
about their wrists and ankles, and light ones in 
their nostrils. 

(23) tfh is a contraction of ybnb the infinitive 



158 CHAPTER XXIV. (23H50). 

Hiphil of \b with the gerundial b prefixed. It 
means 'to lodge [the men and camels].' 

(25) ]iri < chopped straw for beasts of burden 
to eat.' 

Kispa ' fodder in general, as barley, oats, &c.' 

(38) Concerning the elliptical use of DN as a 
negative in adjuration and asseveration, see the 
note on Gen. xiv. 23. 

(40) vieh Vp&lJTT literally, ' before whom 
I walked,' i.e. 'as in whose presence I lived;' 
'with a regard to whose presence and appro- 
bation I ever lived.' See the note on v. 24, and 
xvii. 1. 

(45) Observe that D"]D in this chapter always 
means 'not as yet.' See the note on Gen. ii. 5. 

*jW$ iirb 'to talk/ or 'say to myself;' a 
phrase which occurs several times in Ecclesi- 
astes. But^AsraWg 121 means, 'to comfort any 
one.' 

(48) ftTjgb is the construct or apocopated 
form of the infinitive of npb with b prefixed to it. 
In Gen. xxv. 20, we find the similar form "ising? 

(50) ' We cannot say to thee good or bad / 
i.e. 'we must not try to influence thy conduct 
one way or the other/ Compare Gen. xxxi. 24, 
' Beware that thou do not say to Jacob bad as 



CHAPTER XXIV. feo)-(6b). 159 

well as good' tjn-t/ijsp); i.e. 'Beware of 
attempting to influence his conduct by any thing 
thou mayest say.' 

(53) m'rnp is probably another form of 
DHJD the plural of 13a ' res pretiosa. 1 

{55) Titt^ to U>a> 'days, about ten/ or 'days, 
perhaps ten,' i. e. 'about ten days;' yiuepas wo-el 
Se/ca,' as it is well rendered by the LXX. The 
Vulgate has 'dies saltern decern/ to probably 
means here ' more or less than.' See Gesenius. 
Buxtorf however follows the Rabbins and the 
Targum of Onkelos in rendering this phrase ' a 
year {WEP) or ten [months]/ because DNDJ is some- 
times used to express ' a year/ as in Amos iv. 4, 
and Lev. xxv. 29. But an ellipsis of 'months' 
after -rittjy would be quite unprecedented ; and 
it is very improbable that Rebekah's friends 
should have proposed to detain her for so long 
a period as a year. 

(57) iTSfTiK rbtiWl • Let us ask what she will 
say / literally, ' let us ask her mouth. 5 Compare 
=6**!P *6 rrirP ^"rw (Josh, ix.) ' They did not ask 
what the Lord would say;' 'They did not ask 
for his decision on the subject.' 

(60) rw 53iihK ' thou our sister.' 

~b *r? ' mayest thou become, &c.' ' May thy 



160 CHAPTER XXIV. (60M67). 

seed possess the gate of their enemies/ See 
the note on Gen. xxii. 17. 

(63) r\wb ' to meditate,' (Compare Psal. civ. 
34, * May my meditation on Him be sweet !' ;nj£ 
NTitf v6y), or, (according to those who derive it 
from the Arabic L»), ' to take a walk,' ' ad de- 
ambulandum.' 

iny T\))sh ' ad aspectum vesperse,' i. e. ' at the 
approach of even.' 

(.64) bbr\] ( et demisit se,' ' she dropped 
down,' i. e. ' let herself down suddenly.' 

(65) n]bn This form of nm occurs also in 
Gen. xxxvii. 19, 'Behold this dreamer cometh;' 
but nowhere else in the Pentateuch. In both 
passages it is used of one just coming in sight, 
and within a short distance of the speaker. The 
form \bn is frequently found in later books ; e. g. 
Judg. vi. 20, 1 Sam. xvii. 26, Zech. ii. 8, and Dan. 
viii. 16. The Arabs use a similar apocope in the 
word ill for ^ii| and a& for U.& 

(67) mb rfyn'an The definite article shews 

* ' T T T VI T 

that these words are not in construction. The 
word brjk must therefore be supplied again be- 
fore mitf thus, ' He brought her to the tent, the 
tent of Sarah.' Compare WD b*i2&n ' diluvium, 
diluvium aquarum,' (Gen. vi. 17, where see the 



CHAPTER XXIV. (67) — XXV. (8). 161 

note) ; $53 yixn (Numb, xxxiv. 2), Tjy rwroan 
Irtjart (2 Chron. xv. 8), and Itnan ]mn passim, in 
all of which passages the word to which the defi- 
nite article is prefixed, must be supplied again 
before the noun which follows it. 

The final n in nbnm is added to express 
'motion towards,' like m^n c ad urbem.' 



CHAPTER XXV. 

(1) Keturah, though the second lawful wife 
of Abraham, is called here ttlAa like Hagar, that 
her children also might be placed in an inferior 
grade to Isaac. 

(7) Compare Gen. xxiii. 1, where Sarah's age 
is similarly described with a fourfold repetition of 
the word row and see the note on that passage. 

(8) After this word supply &W from other 
passages. The complete phrase is ' full of days,' 
i. e. ' having lived his full time.' Compare Lucre- 
tius, in. 97 : 

Et nee opinanti mors ad caput astitit ante 
Quam satur ac plenus possis decedere rerum. 

and Horace, Sat. I. i. 119 : 

exaeto contentus tempore vitas 
Cedit, uti conviva satur. 

VE&r^a t)&W ' was gathered to his people,' i. e. 



162 CHAPTER XXV. (8)-(2o). 

'was joined with those of his family who were 
deceased.' A more ordinary phrase of the 
same import is, 'was gathered to his fathers.' 
Compare Gen. xv. 15, 'Thou shalt go to thy 
fathers in peace.' 

(11) Dy 'with,' is used here to signify 'near.' 

(16) "ran is probably of the same derivation 
as the Arabic ^s>. 'habitatio fixa muro septa;' 
and rTTUD 'a village,' connected with the Arabic 
j jo 'limes.' 

(18) tej mrta *33-!?y 'He lay (i.e. 'his 
territory lay') in face of all his brethren,' i.e. 
' eastward of them.' Compare pt^ VTTK"^ *3S-^ 
(Gen. xvi. 12), 'He shall dwell eastward of all his 
brethren' (where see the note); and Judg. vii. 12, 
'Midian and Amalek, and all the people of 
the East (the Hauraan) lay D^sb (i.e. were en- 
camped) in the valley.' Some would supply after 
tej an ellipsis of ftn^ ' his lot,' and translate the 
phrase, ' His lot fell eastward,' since the verb bsi 
frequently occurs in this connection; but it most 
probably means here, 'he was situated,' 'sedem 
occupavit/ so as to be nearly equivalent to jpttf in 
Gen. xvi. 12. 

(20) din pa is the same as Uix rrw 'the 

' T-: *-T TT •• ; 

great plain of Aramea.' 



CHAPTER XXV. (21)^(23). 163 

(21) WttrS H3^ 'with respect to his wife,' 
F&h being equivalent to li2%2. 

-)jnvy and ir$P m the Kal andNiphal of nrp ex- 
actly correspond to - exoravit, 5 and ' exoratus est. 5 

(22) *33N m nftb |3-DK is a very elliptical 
phrase. Aben Ezra explains it, ' If such are the 
pains of gestation, why did I so desire to be with 
child V But the simplest rendering is that of the 
LXX., 'If it was to be so, why am I thus?' i. e. 
' if my being with child was to be so painful, why 
was I so at all V (i. e. with child at all). Some 
commentators supply the ellipsis as follows, 'If 
it is to be thus [with me], why am I alive at all V 
comparing with this her other querulous ex- 
clamation in Gen. xxvii. 46, ' If Jacob take a wife 
of the daughters of Heth, why (i. e. to what pur- 
pose) is life to me V D\TT h. nfcb 

(23) There is such an ambiguity in the 
grammatical form of this response, that it seems 
to admit of two opposite interpretations. 

The first two clauses contain a reiterated as- 
surance to Rebekah that she was about ' to bear 
twins/ a circumstance which their struggles in 
her womb had already announced to her. The 
latter two clauses express merely that the de- 
scendants of one of those twins should be mightier 



164 CHAPTER XXV. (23). 

than those of the other, and that the greater (2^) 
should serve the less ("PJtt). It is true that 1*7 
and n^ may be translated ' elder and younger' 
(as appears from Gen. xliii. 33, and Job xxxii. 9), 
and though Esau and Jacob were twins, their 
order of exit from the womb sufficed to designate 
them respectively as 'the elder' and 'the younger' 
brother ; but the omission of r\x (the sign of the 
accusative case), in the clause T^ "Q§j 271 leaves 
it quite undetermined whether it means 'the 
elder shall serve the younger,' or ' the younger 
shall serve the elder ;' for though in such clauses 
the noun which stands first is usually the nomi- 
native (the subject), and the other the accusative 
(the object), this is not always the case, as in 
D ?9 V™ MJ£ (Job xiv. 19) 'Lapides comminu- 
unt aquae,' and y}tjj nyin D^D Isai. lxiv. 1, 'Aquas 
coquit ignis,' (where the converse propositions 
are absurd) ; so that the ambiguity in the above 
response is parallel to that in the celebrated 
answer to Pyrrhus, 'Aio te, iEacida, Romanos 
vincere posse,' and, like that, remained to be 
solved by the event. 

The segol under the h in Trih is anoma- 
lous at a pause, where it would usually be re- 
placed by kametz. Another anomaly in the 



CHAPTER XXV. (23H32). 165 

same line is that in Utibn the b is without dagesh, 
though p is contracted from ]D 

(24) npi'n is a contracted form of Dentin 
whence the name ' Thomas,' Al$ufxo$. 

(25) Some render njrib Fhft&S ' like a hairy 
garment;' others, 'hairy, like a garment.' 

(27) Dfi CPK The same phrase as applied to 
Noah and Job means, ' a man of integrity,' ' in- 
teger morum.' Here, as applied to Jacob, and 
opposed to ' a huntsman' and ' a man of the field,' 
it probably means, 'quiet, steady, respectable/ 
Compare Psal. xxxviii. 7, where it is opposed to 
ytth 'the restless and mischievous man,' 'who 
insatiably seeks his own selfish ends ;' ' who,' as 
Isaiah says, ' is like the troubled sea when it can- 
not rest.' 

(30) Ditfn Diari-p ' From this red, this red 
[potage].' Rosenmuller justly observes on this 
passage, 'Quod omisso substantivo geminat ad- 
jectivum D7K hominis est avide in cibum inhiantis, 
cui prae cupiditate non occurrebat cibi nomen.' 
Jacob was seething potage (Tp) ; but Esau in ask- 
ing for it does not call it so, but ' this red [food],' 
forgetting its name in his eagerness. 

(31) fiftS for DVTD 'on this very day.' See 
the note on Gen. xviii. 10. 

(32) mnb ?jWrt 'going to die.' See the note on 



166 CHAPTER XXV. (32) — XXVI. (8). 

Gen. xv. 2, where nnj; frirr is supposed by some 
commentators to be equivalent to nng mbb i\b)n 
i going to die childless.' 

(34) The four consecutive verbs connected 
by 1 at the end of this verse, express the reck- 
less haste and profane carelessness of Esau, * qui 
juris pretio jus vendidit primogeniti.' ?!? is the 
apocopated form of n\y 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

(4) tollfn 6 All nations shall pray for them- 
selves that they may be as blessed as thy seed ;' 
i.e.' Thy seed shall be proverbially blessed.' See 
the note on Gen. xxii. 18. 

(5) 1W8 Ipy ' in reward for that,' or ' because 
that.' The Rabbinic commentators say that ijjj 
' end,' is here equivalent to -Oty ' reward,' because 
the reward comes after the good deed. 

(8) )mx nx prop ' caressing his wife. r The 
Pihel verb pro is probably employed here in an 
unusual sense for the sake of its alliteration with 
the preceding word prvp. Followed by 2 in Gen. 
xxxix. 15, it has generally been translated ' to 
mock,' or 'insult/ but is supposed by Gesenius 
(agreeably with the Targum of Onkelos and the 



CHAPTER XXVI. (8H19). 167 

Syriac version) to have the same euphemistic 
meaning as in the present passage, viz. epconKm 

avfjiwai^eiv. 

12. 'He obtained a hundred measures [for 
one measure];' i. e. a hundred times as much as 
he sowed. Dnjjuf is derived from nyw 'sesti- 
mavit,' and properly means, ' sestimationes,' and 
hence ' mensuras,' (generally), in Chaldee and He- 
brew; not 'modios' (a particular measure). It is 
to be distinguished from Dnyttf the plural of rnjw 
J barley,' although the LXX, erroneously translate 

it KpiOrj. 

(13) blXi T^H t^J 6 progrediebatur progre- 
diendo et accrescendo ;' ' He went on growing 
greater and greater.' Concerning the use of two 
gerundial infinitives after a verb (one of them the 
infinitive of the same verb) to express the uninter- 
rupted continuance of the action, see the notes on 
OT vbn mp Gen. viii. 3, and jrfD3l ^ftn V& Gen. 

T T ••. T ' - T : T * 

xii. 9. 

(19) 'a well of living waters ;' i. e. ' springing 
water/ as distinguished from the cistern-water 
used in those districts for cattle. Channels are 
made meeting in a covered tank or reservoir, 
which becomes full in the rainy season and is 
exhausted in the summer. 



168 CHAPTER XXVI. (19H26). 

l^rnn 'shall grant us enlargement/ 'ab an- 
gustiis liberabit.' From the same root is derived 
the Arabic ^ '^^ ' sit tibi dilatatio! See the 
note on Gen. ix. 27, and compare f> fiirnn (Psal. 
iv. 2), ' thou hast given me enlargement,' i. e. 
' thou hast relieved me from distress.' 

(26) It has been doubted whether JJTJH& r\m$ 
means 'a party (portion) of his comrades,' or 
'Ahuzzath his friend/ The latter is confirmed 
by an ancient Greek Version, by the Vulgate, 
and by the Arabic of Saadiah, and is most pro- 
bably correct, since A.ntf does not occur else- 
where in the sense ' portion,' or ' company,' but 
invariably means ' possession.' ' Ahuzzath' has a 
feminine termination, but probably is the name of 
a male friend of Abimelech, since there are other 
names of men with the same termination (e. g. 
JhhSi rf?$), and a female companion would pro- 
bably not have been mentioned, jyno signifies the 
same as jn ' amicus,' in Judg. xiv. 20, and xv. 6. 

The very close resemblance between this ac- 
count of Isaac's interview with Abimelech and that 
in Gen. xxi. 22 — 34, of Abraham's similar transac- 
tion with a king of Gerar of the same name, has 
suggested the not improbable hypothesis that 
both are derived from the same record, with a 



CHAPTER XXVI. (26). 169 

substitution of Isaac's name in the one for that of 
Abraham in the other ; and it would seem almost 
decisive of a double narration of the same facts, 
that we find here the name ' Beersheba' derived 
from a treaty concluded on oath between Abime- 
lech and Isaac, and in chap. xxi. the same name 
derived from a similar covenant made between a 
king of the same name and Abraham. It must 
be observed, however, that we find a similarly 
double account of the origin of the name Bethel 
in chapters xxviii. and xxxv. of this book, though 
with far more important variations between the 
two, and with an allusion in the second narra- 
tive to the circumstances recorded in the first, 
which in the present instance is entirely wanting. 
See the note on the repeated deception prac- 
tised by Abraham with respect to his wife, in 
Gen. xx. The solemn warning given to Abraham 
on those two occasions, renders it still more re- 
markable that his son should have unnecessarily 
exposed himself to the temptation to practise the 
same deception on the same king, and have fallen 
into it. 



170 CHAPTER XXVII. (3M33). 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

(3) ft.n ' a quiver,' from rftfl ' pependit' (ab 
humero). 

o 

iTTO the n is superfluous and not to be pro- 
nounced, though retained in the text. 

(7) "into 12b ' before his death.' In xi. 28, 
•osrty is equivalent to reft where it it said that 
Haran died before his father. 

(20) -oak nfrp rnpn The same phrase occurs 
in Gen. xxiv. 12, DVH risft »rrnpn where see the 
note. It means ' The Lord caused me to meet 
with success ;' * caused success to attend me,' or 
' happen to me.' 

(21) ritt?| Another form of this imperative 
occurs in Gen. xix. 9, viz. wj\ 

(30) nsj rfsj ^« ' was only just in the act of 
going* out.' Such is the force of the reduplication 
of the verb in this passage. 

(33) Nl£»pD 'who then is he? &c.,' wm 
not being like HSW an adverb of place, but re- 
ferring to what goes before. In this case Isaac, 
surprised to find Esau make his appearance when 
he supposed that he had just parted with him, 
exclaims, * Who then is he who brought me veni- 
son before thee V kc. Compare the use of Nia** 



CHAPTER XXVII. (33)~(39)- 171 

in ver. (37) below, < And what then shall I do for 
thee, my son? [seeing that I have exhausted all 
my blessings on thy brother] ;' mism riKf frfejj 
(Prov. vi. 3), ' Do this then, my son ;' ^)d VTM 
Mia* (Hos. xiii. 9), ' Where then is thy king V 
Compare also the use of ism which is equivalent 
to M1SM in Job xix. 23, and xxiv. 25. 

(39) tep* --.*!Dttfc) Some commentators 
would render ]D in this blessing (on Esau) not 
'of or ' from,' (as in the blessing on Jacob), but 
' without i and translate the passage, 6 Thy dwell- 
ing shall be without the fatness of the earth, and 
without dew of heaven from above ; but by thy 
sword thou shalt live.' This is plausible, because 
we know that the territory of Idumea is arid and 
barren, and that the Edomites were a warlike 
nation of predatory habits like the Arabs of the 
desert, and p means 'without' in several pas- 
sages, e. g. "rnsp Job xxi. 9, ' without fear,' 
and )D3£ft rrbp Hos. ix. 11. But, on the other 
hand, (l) it is very improbable that b®ft and *3DB?p 
should have a different meaning here and in ver. 
(28) above, where ]p certainly means 'of or 
'from ;' (2) the dew in Idumea is quite as abund- 
ant as it is in Palestine ; (3) it would have been 
a bitter curse and not a blessing to predict that 

H2 



172 CHAPTER XXVII. (39M42). 

the land of Edom should be without dew ; com- 
pare 2 Sam. i. 21, ' Ye mountains of Gilboa, let 
there be no dew upon you nor rain ;' and (4) in 
the case of *|DtPD there is no dagesh in the Shin, 
so that this p cannot be a contraction for p as it 
is in b®n ('of or 'from dew'), but must be 
merely the participial prefix of the verbal noun 
MDt?D ' fat things,' which occurs also in Isai. x. 
16, and xvii. 4. 

(40) * Thou shalt serve thy brother ; but at 
such time as (~)t^D) thou shalt have the mastery/ 
(if injn have the same meaning as rm 'dominatus 
est'), or 'at such time as (whenever) thou shalt 
please, (if inn be equivalent to the Arabic joj ), 
thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck/ 

imz is put for iwx n>ra=naJa nyna (see the 
note on Gen. xviii. 10). It seems a sort of tau- 
tology to say, 'when thou shalt prevail thou shalt 
break off his yoke from thy neck ;' but this trans- 
lation is preferred by all the commentators, and 
is not inconsistent with the oracular style of the 
passage. See the note on Gen. xxv. 23. 

(42) niTTiN "TJP Here, as in other instances, 
riN (which is usually the sign of the accusative 
case) is prefixed to the subject of a passive verb. 
See the note on Gen. xvii. 6. r\N is probably equi- 



CHAPTER XXVII. (42H46). 173 

valent to 'namely,' 'that is to say,' (like the 
Arabic ^), or ' concerning.' ' It was told to 
Rebekah, viz. the words, &c.,' or ' concerning the 
words, &c.' Or 12} may be treated as an imper- 
sonal, and equivalent to ' they told' (i. e. to Re- 
bekah the words of Esau). 

^"TT)4 ' betake thee to flight. 5 Compare 

tffi? m Gen. xn - *> an( * ^ n ^ Gen. xx i- 16- 
jnn The Hauraan, the district east of Palestine, 
is still a resort for all persons whose lives are en- 
dangered among the inhabitants of Syria. 

(44) DHTO* D'toJ ' a few days,' i. e. 'a short 
time f the same phrase occurs in Gen. xxix. 20, 
and Dan. xi. 20. Compare the German ' einige 
tagen,' 'einzelne tagen,' and the Spanish 'unos 
dias.' The converse is Mn W& The Rabbins 
say that 1H8 bears the meaning of paucity, be- 
cause it is the smallest number. In Gen. xi. 1, 
D'nrw means 'the same.' 

• T -! 

(46) DDW ' both of you ;' because if Esau 
slew Jacob, he too would be doomed to die. 
*ra »jfise Compare D| VjaNj (Lev. xx. 23), ' I am 
weary of them.' 



174 CHAPTER XXVIII. (6) — XXIX. (i). 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

(6) T\n$b is the apocopated infinitive of Ttpb 
with the gerundial b prefixed. 

(9) ^g The Vaw is that of transition, and 
corresponds with the Arabic <_J * then.' 

(11) trip^J 'on a place.' The n latent in 
3, is the indefinite article, of which instances have 
already occurred. See the note on Gen. ix. 23. 

(13) vfy 12} 'The Lord stood above it,' or 
6 upon it,' (the ladder) ; or ' stood over against 
him (Jacob)/ or ' by him.' Compare yty MS} 
(Gen. xviii. 2), ' He saw three men standing by 
him, 1 (where see the note) ; and b% DTjOh in the 
2nd verse of the next chapter. 

(14) qi ma} ' shall be blessed through thee,* 
i. e. 'through thy means ;' or the phrase is equi- 
valent to Tfi CW\n as explained in the note on 
Gen. xii. 3. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

(1) ' The children of the East,' means here, 
as in the book of Job and elsewhere, the in- 
habitants of the Hauraan, the district of Northern 
Arabia, east of Syria. 



CHAPTER XXIX. (2). 175 

(2) pr6jf D^lh ' lying over against it,' or 
'near it' (the well). Compare the use of^in 
Gen. xviii. 2, and xxviii. 13. In this, and the 
following verse, a custom is explained which ac- 
counted for Jacob's finding a number of shep- 
herds with their flocks waiting by a well, the 
mouth of which was covered with a large stone, 
viz. that they always waited until all the flocks 
were assembled that drank at that well, and then, 
and not till then, rolled away the stone and 
allowed them all to drink, a proceeding which 
was probably repeated several times during the 
twenty-four hours. The object of this custom 
was doubtless the conservation of the water 
(which is very scarce in those countries), and to 
prevent contention on the ground that one flock 
was watered oftener than another. (Caravans per- 
forming long desert-journeys adopt a similar rule, 
viz. not to allow their water-skins to be opened 
except at certain hours of the day when all the 
travellers partake alike.) In ver. (7) we find 
that Jacob, not being aware of this custom, was 
astonished that the shepherds whom he found 
waiting at the well in the middle of the day did 
not at once water their flocks, and drive them 
away to pasture. He says, ' Lo ! it is yet high- 



176 CHAPTER XXIX. (2H27). 

day, [and J not time for the cattle to be gathered 
together; water the flocks, and [then] go and 
feed them.' He seems to have been anxious for 
the shepherds to leave the spot, in order that he 
might have an opportunity of speaking in private 
with Laban's daughter, who, they told him, was 
approaching. 

(11) 'Jacob lifted up his voice and wept.' 
This ebullition of feeling towards one whom he 
had not seen before, almost exceeds the warmth 
of Oriental emotion. 

(19) *n*n ' my giving' is the apocopated infi- 
nitive of ]rft with the pronominal affix of the 
first person. 

(20) DHrw D*»J ■ a few days.' See the note 
on Gen. xxvii. 44. 

(21) After ran 'Give' supply^ Compare 
Ml ^-nin Gen. xxx. 1. 

• T T T 

(26) )5 nittJP lib ' It must not (or ' ought not 
to') be done so;' compare Gen. xx. 9, and xxxiv. 
7 ; or ' It is not [usually] done so,' i. e. ' it is not 
customary.' But the future Niphal of nfrjj gene- 
rally expresses ' propriety.' 

(27) nw jattf ' the week of this one/ i. e. 
Leah. The nuptial festivities usually lasted a 
week. 



CHAPTER XXIX. (32) — XXX. (3). 177 

(32) JMn The derivation of Reuben's name 
here given, viz. from *tyl nirp HH1 is by no 
means obvious ; it would be more simply derived 
from the words ja, W| ' Behold ! a son !' an ex- 
clamation of joy at the birth of a firstborn son. 

(34) D^arr ttfiy ' now at length ;' ' at last I 
shall win my husband's love by having brought 
him a child.' Concerning this use of Dysn see 
the note on Gen. ii. 23. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

(2) ' Am I in the place of God V nnri ' in- 
stead of.' Compare w OVfoj -nnnn 4) (Gen. l. 
19) 'am I in the place of God; 5 and the words 
of the King of Israel, ' Am I God, to kill and 
to make alive ;' (2 Kings v. 7). 

(3) \?nir^ "6fi a ' prsegnans constructio ;' 
6 she shall bear [children that may be nursed, or 
brought up] on my knees,' i.e. 'in my lap;' 
' children whom I may adopt as soon as they are 
born.' Compare Gen. l. 23, 'The children of 
Machir were born on Joseph's knees ' ^3,"^ Fl^J 
sjpv i. e. ' were adopted by him as soon as they 
were born.' 

H5 



178 CHAPTER XXX. (3)-(io). 

fTELNi ' I shall be built up,' i. e. ' I shall be 
supported and consoled [by having children]/ or 
' 1 shall have children,' if this be a verb irregu- 
larly formed from the noun ]2, ' a son.' See the 
note on Gen. xvi. 2, ft3E>D rmK *bwt 

* TV* V T * 

(8) tfpfa* ^P^\ 'mighty strivings,' 'violent 
struggles,' Wiib$ being used here merely as 
a superlative, as in the phrases DVfrj* *Htf| and 
D>rf?$ runn in other passages of this book. See 
the note on Gen. i. 2. 

(10) 122 The Masorites would read instead 
of this 12 **3, 'venit fortuna/ or 'venit sidus 

T T 

faustum,' (see Isai. lxv. 11) ; but this change is un- 
necessary ; for, if 122 be translated ' with good 
fortune,' (Arabic^ j^sr? or j^V like eV ri-^i 
6 auspicato hoc mihi accidat,' ' en hora buena'), it 
will mean nearly the same as *w#2 ('cum felici- 
tate mea') in ver. 13, and both will imply joy or 
self-gratulation on the birth of a child. Observe 
that the kametz is substituted for pathack under 
the 3. (and the dagesh consequently omitted in 
the 2) on account of the pause, 123. being equi- 
valent to 12H2. where 12H is 'fortune,' which is 

t - : t - 7 

personified in Isai. lxv. 11, 'Who prepare a table 
(of idolatrous worship) for Fortune,' 12b i.e. 12nb 
' for the goddess Fortune.' 



CHAPTER XXX. (i3)-(i5). 179 

(13) ■nttwa 'cum beatitate mea, 1 or 'cum 
felicitate, congratulatione mea,' (i. e. ' beate mihi 
est ') ; from nttfa ' beatitas.' 

"ODttfN 'shall felicitate me,' 'pronounce me 
happy/ on account of the number of my family. 

(14) D^in 'love-apples,' which were used 
as a ' philtre ' (see Gesenius) ; and Rachel doubt- 
less wished by administering them to her hus- 
band to increase the probability of her having 
children by him. 

(15) PiHifn This is probably the apocopated 
future of T]pb with the gerundial b prefixed to it, 
before which we may supply an ellipsis of *5HJTl 
thus, ' Is it a small thing thy taking away Offcnj?) 
my husband, and thou wouldest take away also 
(D| rinpS *2riiy\) my son's mandrakes?' Some 
commentators have supposed r\n\h to be put here 
for r\T}pb the second person feminine preterite of 
npfr with the sense 'thou wouldst take,' or, 'thou 

' T 

wilt take,' (the Vaw conversive being prefixed to 
it); but this hypothesis leaves the omission of 
the dagesh in the n of rinj£ unaccounted for, and 
was probably made only to furnish a parallel in- 
stance to nrtDil in Gen. xx. 16, which the same 
commentators take to be written for rirob the 
second person feminine preterite Niphal of r\y but 



180 CHAPTER XXX. (i5)-(2o). 

which others suppose to be another form of rinsi 
(the third person feminine of the same verb, like 
rirDtth for nnDttb in Isai. xxiii.), 'she was set right' 
(' indemnified ') ; the clause in which it occurs 
being understood as a remark of the historian, 
not as part of the words of Abimelech. See the 
note on that passage. 

(18) ISttfttP a name given to one of her sons 
by Leah in allusion to his being a reward, as she 
supposed, bestowed upon her by God for her hav- 
ing given her handmaid to Jacob. It is derived 
either from the words idw W* 'there is a reward,' 

T T 

or is a contraction for "iDto x'w ' mercedem acci- 

T T T • 

piet.' The latter derivation is the more probable 
on account of the kametz under the first fa 

(20) The origin of the name jjfet seems to 
be here explained in two ways ; first, that Leah 
said lira "DT ^rfra *rjlt ' God has appointed me 
a good portion,' (or 'given me a good gift'), and 
secondly, that she said *&& *2fcjP D^SH ' Now at 
last my husband will be attached to me/ (or ' will 
dwell with me by preference ') ; but it is only her 
latter saying that contains the true derivation of 
the name, viz. bit ' cohabitavit,' while in the for- 
mer the noun "QT 'a gift' or 'portion' (as well as 
its verb "DT) is introduced merely on account of 



CHAPTER XXX. (20)- (30). 181 

its alliteration with vnbll Both "D? and bnt are 

' \: -t -t 

nearly aira^ Xeyofieva in the Hebrew Scriptures. 
Instances of the use of DV2H 'now at last,' ('this 
once at least'), occur in Gen. ii. 23, (where see 
the note), and Gen. xxix. 34. 

(27) After the words, 'If I have found favour 
in thy eyes,' there is evidently an ellipsis, which 
we may supply as follows, ' If I have found favour 
in thy eyes (i. e. 'if thou wilt grant me a favour'), 
[I beseech thee, depart not from me; since] I 
have learnt by experience that (l) God hath bless- 
ed me for thy sake.' 

WW ' experimento didicit,' ' expertum habuit,' 
occurs also in Gen. xliv. 5, and 1 Kings xx. 33. 
Sometimes it means ' auguratus est.' 

(28) ty ?H?^ n ?i?? ' Fix the wages that are 
thy due from me,' ' the amount of thy claim upon 
me for wages:' by is used here like \c in Arabic 
to express 'the obligation to a creditor that lies 
upon a debtor,' i. e. ' the claim of a creditor on a 
debtor.' Compare the phrases 5 Sj ,1c 2 * with 
nothing due from me or to me' ; and i^XAz J 
j\Juj uJll ' Thou owest me 1000 denars.' 

(30) 'brb ' on account of my coining to thee,' 
literally, ' on account of my foot.' Compare a 
phrase in the Makamat of Hariri, ' Mayst thou be 



182 CHAPTER XXX. (30X32). 

rewarded for the steps of thy feet, 1 i. e. ' for com- 
ing here to visit me.' Others render *bTb ' where- 
ever I have set foot,' i. e. ' wherever I have been.' 
The last clause of this verse, 'and now when (*>T)ti) 
shall I do [something] for my own family also?' 
implies ' and now it is time that I should make 
some provision for them, instead of labouring 
solely for thee' (compare Gen. xxxi. 43, 'What 
shall I do for my children ?'); or 'when shall I do 
for my own family [what I have done for thine] V 

(31) ihwx ^*ra rynx We must supply 
either 1 before ~)hwti and construe, 'I will feed and 
watch thy flocks;' or nwx and construe, 'I will 
feed thy flocks which I keep' ; i. e. 'I will resume 
my ordinary employment of tending thy flocks.' 

(32) ivn is the infinitive Hiphil of -no ' to 
depart/ and means 'to separate/ 'to remove,' 'to 
set apart/ Since the word rw (as well as ]m) is 
applied to both sorts of small cattle, (pecus peco- 
ris), goats as well as sheep (see Deut. xiv. 4), 
we must refer to the parallel passage in ver. 35, 
below, in order to determine what is meant by 
ate ipj tlb'bb in the present verse; and we find 
that the corresponding clause in ver. 35 is D^flH 
ET^tsrn D^^n 'the speckled and spotted he-goats,' 
and to this tfto 7p3 HW'bb is therefore equivalent, 



CHAPTER XXX. (32), (33). 183 

the other parts of Jacob's hire, viz., * the spotted 
and speckled she-goats, and the dark-coloured 
sheep/ being mentioned in the same words in 
both verses. It thus appears that those which 
Jacob proposed to set apart for his hire out of 
Laban's flocks were 'all the he-goats and she-goats 
that were spotted and speckled with white, and 
all the dark-coloured sheep/ and these, when he 
had selected them, he committed to the care of 
his own sons (see ver. 35). lipg means ' spotted 
with small spots' [of white], i. e. ' speckled,' and 
KfttD ' spotted in large patches [of white],' terms 
which could be applied only to goats, since 
sheep are all of one colour, white, or black, or 
nearly black (Din). Observe that rw or, as it 
may be written, rw ' pecus' is connected with 
the Arabic «i 'res,' just as TOpp (from njjj 'po- 
titus est') means 'cattle,' because in these all 
property originally consisted. Compare the rela- 
tions between kttjvos 'pecus 1 and kt^lu 'possessio,' 
between ' oves,' ' ops,' and ' opilio/ and between 
JU ' opes/ and ^\a ' oves.' 

(33) nsitf"^ tf'lirPE ' when thou shalt come 
[nilD Diu] on any future day [to look] over my 
reward (i. e. to inspect it), my fairness of dealing 
shall answer for me (i. e. shall speak for itself) 



184 CHAPTER XXX. (33H38), 

before thee/ Such is the order in which these 
words must be translated. 

(34) N'T & ]n ' well ! I would have it accord- 
ing to thy word.' 

(37) 'rods of green poplar, and almond, and 
chestnut ; and he stripped on them white stripes 
('decorticationes') uncovering the white [that was 
under the bark] on the rods,' i. e. ' he made the 
white of the wood appear alternately with the 
bark which he left/ 

(38) 'And he set the rods which he had 
peeled in the walks [see Cant. i. 17] (or 'gutters' 
as some explain it) by the channels of water ; 
since (not 'when') the flocks [of goats] would come 
to drink over against (rob 1 ? or 'in the neigh- 
bourhood of 'e regione') other flocks [of goats] 
and would be at heat (or 'conceive') when they 
came to drink;' i. e. Jacob chose the walks by the 
w r ater-channels as the place where he set his 
peeled rods, because (law) those walks were a 
constant resort for the flocks, and out of those 
who came some would be at heat, and meeting 
there with others (males) of their own species 
would conceive in sight of the peeled rods 
(fli^p?rrS$ as it is in the next verse), and so hav- 
ing their imagination affected by the variety of 



CHAPTER XXX. (38X42). 185 

colour might communicate a similar variety of 
colour to their young. 

(39) This verse describes the success of Ja- 
cob's stratagem, viz., that the she-goats conceived 
in sight of the rods, and consequently produced 
young ' speckled, spotted, and striped,' thus add- 
ing to his [Jacob's] flock, and not to Laban's. 

(40) Besides the above artifice Jacob sepa- 
rated the lambs (D'Qttp), and set the faces of the 
sheep (the ewes) towards all the dark-coloured 
[lambs] among Laban's flock (in order to affect 
the sheep by the constant sight of the dark- 
coloured lambs and make them bear those of a 
similar sort, just as the sight of the peeled rods 
had produced the effect upon the she-goats of 
making their young spotted and striped) ; while 
he placed his own flocks separate fPD^), and did 
not put them with (by_ ' by ;' see Gen. xviii. 2) 
Laban's flock, because it was out of Laban's flock 
that his hire was to be obtained, and consequently 
it was Laban's and not his own that he wished 
to affect by the above process, and the mixture 
of his own with Laban's would only interrupt the 
success of his artifice. 

(41) (42) These two verses are to be read 
in continuation of verse 39, since they refer to 



186 CHAPTER XXX. (42}. 

Jacob's treatment of the she-goats, and not of 
the ewes (as in verse 40). In order to complete 
his artifice with the peeled rods and to insure 
that those kids which belonged to his hire should 
be strong as well as numerous, he placed the 
peeled rods before the she-goats only whenever 
(?b2l) those at heat happened to be the strong 
and vigorous (ni"Wj3Dn) and abstained from doing 
so when those at heat were the weak of the flock; 
and thus the offspring of the strong, being ren- 
dered of the required variety of colour by the 
effect of the peeled rods, became Jacob's, and the 
young of the weak being unaffected thereby, and 
all of one colour, were Laban's. 

JThtppBTi literally ' colligatse,' means here 
'compacto corpore,' 'of compact, well-set, and 
robust frame.' 

JiDrp in verse (39) is for }£)T from DIT i.q. DftH 
'incaluit pecus libidine,' and TOprP in verse (38), 
the third plural masculine of the same verb, is 
put here for the feminine ruprin after the manner 
of the Arabs and Chaldees, who neglect the cor- 
rect use of the feminine gender in passages which 
do not require the most elevated style of lan- 
guage, (see Gesenius in D1T). The Pihel of the 
same verb occurs in verse (41), viz. Drp ' incaluit 



CHAPTER XXX. (42) — XXXI. (10). 187 

libidine ad coitum,' 'coivit,' and hence 'concepit,' 
('de niuliere'), e.g. Ps. Li. 7 *8N ^JlDtP &?ra 'In 
sin did my mother conceive me. 1 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

(2) nwbv Won is more fully expressed in 
2 Sam. iii. 17, DWfarD| Wnm-Da i. e. 'both yester- 
day and the day before,' (literally ' the third day 
[ago]'; as though Efl'ttfctt? were compounded of 
Twbw and DV) The day before yesterday is called 
6 the third day ago,' the present day being rec- 
koned along with the two preceding it, just as the 
day after to-morrow is called by the Hebrews 'the 
third day from the present.' There is an ellipsis 
of Vaw between b)Dr\ and dwW above, as in 
several other instances in this book. 

(7) bnr; ' ludificavit,' an irregular form of 
the Pihel for bm 

(10) and (12) The three words ZNQg D«T|E 
and D^ni have nearly the same meaning, viz., 
' spotted and speckled ;' and being of nearly simi- 
lar sound seem to be used here on account of the 
alliteration which they produce, like *n2L nwn? 
"©hi isy VUl ^inh &c. Observe that DTQ means 
* spotted (as if with hail).' 



188 CHAPTER XXXI. (13H19). 

(13) !rm Van The word ^ must be sup- 
plied again before ^Nrh\a on account of the defi- 
nite article, which shews that the first bx is not 
in construction with ^jr/va, Compare D]»D ^223H 
'the flood, [the flood] of waters' (Gen. vii. 17, 
where see the note), and rinin ]hxn ' the ark, 
[the ark] of the covenant.' 

(14) 'Have we any longer any part or por- 
tion in our father's house?' i. e. 'have we any 
longer anything to bind us to home, and to make 
us unwilling to leave it with thee ?' 

(15) 'Has devoured (wasted) our money, i.e. 
the money that should have been our doweries :* 
WbN-oa bim is a metathesis for blW b)2X D31 

t - t - : 

(19) D^snn These Penates were sometimes 
of considerable size, for we find in 1 Sam. xix* 13, 
that one of them was laid in a bed by Michal, 
Saul's daughter, to represent her husband David, 
in order to delude those in quest of him with the 
idea that he was dead or sick. They were pro- 
bably ' busts,' i. e. representations of the human 
figure as far as the waist (epD 'decerpsit,' and 
Mja 'resecuhV ' amputavit 5 being connected with 
the word D^fi), for had they been full-length 
statues of any size Rachel could not have stolen 
them, much less hidden them where she did. 



CHAPTER XXXI. (ip)-^)- 189 

Compare Hos. iii.4, 'There shall be no ephod or 
Teraphim' i.e. 'no worship licit or illicit.' 

(20) 'Stole the mind of Laban,' i. e. 'deluded,' 
or, 'cajoled him,' (see the note on ver. 27 below) 
)2b 2b being here equivalent to }2b njn 'his mind' 
or ' understanding' ; compare Exod. ix. 21. This 
phrase lj?"ri>5 111 means elsewhere ' to win (any 
one) over by insinuating arts,' 'to seduce,' as in 
2 Sam. xv. 6. Compare the use of KXewre v6w 
in 11. A. 132. 

ft van bl-fy 'in that he did not tell him.' 
(24) 'Beware that thou say not to Jacob 5 
jrr°fil liffiD i- e. ' bad as well as good' (compare 
Gen. xi. 7, ' I will destroy "hl-lg dt»d beast and 
reptile and bird as well as man') ; a euphemism 
for ' vituperation, 1 ' abusive language : ' compare 
2 Sam. xiii. 22, ' He said not to Ammon a word 
jn-TJT) liEDD' i. e. 'he did not address any abusive 
language to him.' Or it may simply mean ' be- 
ware of saying either good or bad to Jacob,' i. e. 
' beware of influencing his conduct either way by 
anything thou mayst say.' Comp. Gen. xxiv. 50, 
' We cannot say to thee good or bad' i. e. ' we 
dare not try to influence thy conduct by what 
we might say, (seeing thou art clearly under divine 
guidance).' Observe that in Ps. xxxix. 3, Wgnri 



190 CHAPTER XXXI. (24H27V 

ifeD there is probably an ellipsis of yvij; the 
complete phrase being jn"Tjn litDD Wttfnfj ' 1 kept 
silence from good as well as bad,' ' I uttered not 
a word of good or bad, (cherishing my sorrow in 
silence).' 

(27) rftab rwarq HEfr 'Quare abscondisti 
te fugiendo;' 'Why hast thou been clandestine 
in fleeing away?' i. e. 'Why hast thou fled away 
clandestinely V an idiomatic construction in which 
the principal verb (rni) is a gerundial infinitive 
depending on another verb (N^ru) which qualifies 
it, and which in other languages would be ex- 
pressed by an adverb. An instance of the same 
construction occurs in the next verse, viz. Jpfepn 
iitfJJ! 'stultus eras agendo,' i. e., 'egisti stulte,' 
' thou hast acted foolishly.' Compare riwyb ^n 
(Ps. cxxvi. 2, 3) 'magnus (prseclarus) erat agendo,' 
i. e. ' egit magnifice,' (of God), and the same 
phrase in Joel ii. 20 (of a tyrant) in the sense 
'fastuosus erat (magnificavit sese) agendo,' i.e. 
'fastuose egit'; rwyb vtejj (Eccles. ii. 11) 'labo- 
riosus eram agendo/ i.e. 'laboriose egi,' (sive 
•feci')'; nw%b 102 (Gen. ii. 3) 'creavit facien- 
do,' i.e. 'fecit creative' (i.e. creando), 'He made 
by an effort of creative power.' In the 
above phrase tfin? a verb Niphal is used re- 



CHAPTER XXXI. (27H29). 191 

flectively as a Hithpahel, of which other in- 
stances occur. 

VTO aili-n 'et me decepisti.' Here 2^ can 
have no other meaning but ' to deceive ; ' and we 
may therefore assume that it bears the same 
meaning in verses (20) and (26) in the phrase Zh) 
]lb zb-nx 'He- eluded (cajoled) Laban's mind' 
p*? being there used for nyi) ; though in ver. (26) 
it also means 'to steal away' (like captives taken 
in war). 

^njjttfott ' since I would have sent thee away.' 
Observe the great deficiency of tenses in the He- 
brew language. 

(28) itog Jjtapn 'stultus fecisti agendo,' 
i.e. 'egisti stulte;' see the note on the last 
verse concerning this idiomatic construction : 
nitfy means here 'to do' in the sense 'to act,' 
whereas in Gen. ii. 3 it means 'to do' in the sense 
'to make;' this verb (like 'to do' and 'facere') 
being either transitive or intransitive. 

In iitfj? the i is a substitute for n in nitfjj the 
infinitive of ntoy The gerundial prefix b is here 
omitted. 

(29) *>T bxb'W The word bt* means here 
'strength,' 'power,' the same as nb Compare 
?[T ^b ATTO (Prov. iii. 27) 'when it is in the 



192 CHAPTER XXXI. (2 9 )-( 3 2). 

power of thy hand (to do it),' and dt bvbifr ^ 
(Mic. ii. 1). Perhaps *T bvtrw may be a meta- 
thesis for *yh bvrvfr 'There is power (or 
'strength') to my hand,' 'My hand has the 
power ;' and so it is translated by Onkelos 
*ra tfrn jtk 

•t: t •• 

(30) JPO^TT 1(bn njnyi 'and granting thou 
must needs go,' (or ' granting thou wast bent on 
going away'), because thou wast earnestly desir- 
ous after thy father's house, (to revisit it), why 
shouldst thou steal my gods?' This verse con- 
tains two instances of the infinitive of reduplica- 
tion with its verb, the latter (nfiatoa ^033) in its 
ordinary intensive signification ; and the former 
robn ifbn in the more idiomatic sense ' thou wast 

t : - T T 

determined to go away,' or k thou wast constrained 
to go away.' 

(31) In this verse Jacob replies to Laban's 
charge against him of having absconded without 
giving him due notice, and in the next, to his 
charge against him of having stolen the Tera- 
phim. There is some abruptness in the transition 
from the one subject to the other, which is to be 
explained by Jacob's eagerness to justify himself 
to his kinsman. 

(32) isrf 'recognise' is the imperative. 



CHAPTER XXXI. (36X39). 193 

(36) apjgft mr With this use of the imper- 
sonal verb nrr which occurs also in Gen. iv. 5, 
compare ft *"fi£ ' He was distressed/ (Gen. xxxii. 
8), and ft ")^ 1 Sam. xxviii. 15, and elsewhere. 

(37) 'Whatever thou hast found of all thy 
household furniture place here before thy brethren 
and mine, and let them decide (or 'argue') be- 
tween us;' i. e. 'produce here before us whatever 
thou hast found, and convict me if thou canst.' 

(38) Hfr 'This twenty years,' i.e. 'this [period 
of] twenty years ;' supply jpr after nt 

ft^itf $b ' have not miscarried/ 

(39) 'I never brought thee what was torn; 
so that I bore the blame of it ; (such is the force 
of the future Pihel nasnK in this place after 

t v - -: •*■ 

the preterite Mitfin) ; from my hand thou requir- 
edst it (exactedst it), whatever was stolen by day 
or by night;' i. e. 'whenever any cattle or sheep 
were stolen or torn by wild beasts, I never brought 
thee what was injured, or made thee the loser by 
what was lost or spoiled ; I took the blame of it 
on myself, and made it good to thee at thy de- 
mand accordingly.' He means that 'however 
unreasonable the expectations of Laban might be, 
he always submitted to them and fulfilled them.' 
Observe that the Pihel of KDn (peccavit) means 

1 



194 CHAPTER XXXI. (39) -(43). 

' to expiate,' ' to undergo the penalty of a fault,' 
and hence Ho make amends for it;' whereas NEn 

T T 

means ' to be guilty without making amends for 
the fault ;' see Gen. xliii. 9. DWrta ?6 TiHtom 'I 

.t- t ' : • T t : 

shall bear the blame to thee for ever,' i.e. 'I shall 
consent to be always regarded by thee as guilty.' 

The Yod of *Jliaa is paragogic. If it were 
the pronominal affix of the first person (express- 
ing 'that which was stolen from me'), the vowel 
under 2 would be kametz instead of sheva. 

(40) wn 'I continued with the heat de- 
vouring me by day and the cold by night,' &c. 
Compare Jer. xxxvi. 30, * His dead body shall be 
cast out in the day to the heat and in the night to 
the frost.' Such is the climate of the Hauraan 
to this day. 

(42) ' God saw my poverty and the toil (wea- 
riness) of my hands, and rebuked (rov) thee last 
night.' Compare JTD3 (Gen. xx. 16), which 
means 'she was reproved,' according to some in- 
terpreters. 

(43) ' What shall I do for my daughters and 
their children?' This may mean (1), 'What shall 
I do for the want of them ?' ' What shall I do 
without them?' Or (2), 'What shall I do to 
show my love for them (at parting)?' or 'to en- 



CHAPTER XXXI. (43X49). 195 

sure them a permanent maintenance V (Compare 
Gen. xxx. 30, ' And when shall I do [something] 
for my own house V i. e. ' When shall I provide 
for my own family?') Or (3), 'What [harm] 
should I do to them?' 'Is it likely that I should 
seek to do them mischief by taking away the pro- 
perty necessary to their support V 

(46) 'They ate ^rrty at the heap/ i. e. 
'by it,' or 'near it,' (not 'on the heap'). Compare 
rt}J D*a^ (Gen. xviii. 2) ' standing by him,' and 
vby 2Z1 Gen. xxviii. 13, where see the note. 

T T T • 

(47) »riOT ")T 'the heap of testimony / 
3jfel ' the heap of witness.' The language of the 
Hauraan was a dialect of Chaldee, and differed 
from the language of Palestine as spoken by 
Jacob. 

(49) 'Mizpeh' is to be construed in con- 
tinuation with the preceding verse : ' He called 
it Gilead — and Mizpeh/ since he said, ' The Lord 
will watch (sgl) between me and thee, when we 
are hidden [i. e. removed to a distance] from each 
other.' The division of verses (48) and (49) seems 
to have been made after 'Gilead,' because the 
sentence following the word Mizpeh at the be- 
ginning of verse (49) contains the reason for this 
name (Mizpeh) having been attached to 'the heap/ 

12 



196 CHAPTER XXXI. (4S>H5 2 )» 

while the derivation of its other name Gilead is 
stated in verse (48). 

(50) *rt'3T^ 'in addition to my daughters/ 
Compare rr"ra rvby nprrtfo Ftfinirbx nwx (Lev. 
xviii. 18), 'Thou shalt not take the sister of a 
wife in addition to her in her life-time.' 

(51) wr ")«;$ 'This heap which I have 
thrown up.' Observe that the word Hhn is used 
here for rtiii as in Ecclesiastes ffen HP DV21 

(52) &b DK The word ^ seems here to be 
superfluous ; since in forms of adjuration and as- 
severation UX is generally used elliptically in a 
negative sense ; (e. g. ngN Dtt Gen. xiv. 23, 
'that I will not take') ; and it has therefore been 
suggested that Dtt may be here a contraction for 
D^pa 'really,' 'truly.' But since w is disjoined 
from *DJg} Etf by the pause Ravia, we may sup- 
ply an ellipsis after it, and translate thus, 'The 
heap is witness that I will not [violate this 
treaty] : I will not pass this heap, &c.' Thus 
both DN and sib will convey their full import. 



CHAPTER XXXII. (2), (3). 197 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

(2), (3) These verses contain an account of 
the origin of the name of the town Mahanaim. 
The 'two camps' or 'hosts,' are that of Jacob 
and that of the angels who met him. The word 
npnp though properly applied to a military 
camp, is frequently used, as here, and in Gen. 
xxxiii. 8, and l. 9, to denote simply ' a company 
of peaceable travellers journeying with their 
goods and beasts of burden ; ' ' a caravan.' This 
town is mentioned in Cant. vi. 13, DWQ rtynDS 
'like the dance of Mahanaim,' as it is well ren- 
dered by Ewald; our authorized Version, 'As 
it were the company of two armies,' being 
perfectly unintelligible. While Solomon is 
making a royal progress through his dominions, 
some of the ladies of his court, struck by the 
beauty of a Shulamite girl who was admiring 
the equipages as they passed, call her to them, 
and when she asks them ' what they wanted her 
for;' ('what will ye see in me, the Shulamite?' 
i. e. ' what would you see me do ? ') they reply, 
'[a dance] like the dance of Mahanaim,' i. e. 
'we would see thee dance after the manner of 



198 CHAPTER XXXII. {2) -(12). 

those whom we saw dance at Mahanaim, as we 
passed that place.' It seems that she accedes 
to their request ; for in the next verse we find 
them exclaim, 'How beautiful are thy feet in 
their shoes, &c.,' as they admire the display of 
her beauty which she made as she danced before 
them after the Eastern fashion. (Such is Ewald's 
ingenious elucidation of that difficult passage.) 

(5) inai ' and I have tarried ;' the first per- 
son future of TM ' moratus est,' with the 1 con- 

- T 

versive. 

(8) )b *yp) ' et erat ei angustia,' i. e. * he was 
straitened and distressed,' an impersonal like 
ft -)IT ' he was angry.' Compare 1 Sam. i. 20, 
*>b IX 'est mihi angustia.' The Hiphil of "W is 
usually followed by b as in Deut. xxviii. 52, 
x\b i^n) ' et te premet.' 

JYfaniQ The masculine plural of the same word, 
viz. D'OTO occurs in Numb. xiii. 19, and Deut. 
xxiii. 15. 

(11) DHDnn bbte 'Mbfj 'I am less than all 
the mercies,' i. e. ' too small for them,' or, ' un- 
worthy of them.' 

(12) 'Lest he smite me, mother with chil- 
dren,' i. e. ' me and all my family with me,' b% 
signifying 'in addition to,' ' along with,' as in ver. 



CHAPTER XXXII. (i2)-(2i). 199 

(50) of the last chapter, where see the note. 
The expression ' to destroy any one M2L-v>g Dtf 
mother, children and all, 1 seems to have been a 
proverbial phrase, denoting ' cruel and utter ex- 
termination without sparing any of a family' (as 
in Hosea x. 14), since the words D^l b% D& stand 
here almost without construction, except as in 
apposition with the pronominal affix of ■OSH 

(14) iTi K2ii ' whatever came to hand to 
him,' i. e. ' what he had at hand.' Others say that 
this phrase means ' what had come into his hand/ 
l e. his property. 

(15) Observe that the males and females in 
Jacob's present to Esau are in the proper pro- 
portions for breeding, viz. one he-goat to five 
she-goats, one he-ass to two she-asses, &c. 

(17) nn 'an interval,' literally, 'space for 
breathing,' ' breathing-room,' as in Esth. iv. 14. 

(21) In this verse voa 'his face' occurs 
twice, and *»ja ' my face ' twice, alternately with 
each other, so as to produce an unpleasing reiter- 
ation of the same sound. In each case there is 
a distinct idiom. Y02 m§DN means, ' I shall ap- 
pease his [angry] looks,' i. e. 'I shall propitiate 
him;' compare 1 Sam. i. 18, fiy ft) ffl tfo PPJ9 
' Her looks were no longer [favourable] towards 
her.' 



200 CHAPTER XXXII. (2i)-(2p). 

*^b. ' before my face,' like ^B bg in the next 
verse. 

•OB Ntt^ 'He will raise my face,' i. e. 'he will 
accept me,' or * spare me,' (see the note on rvjfp in 
Gen. iv. 7) ; or, ' he will show respect to me ;' 
compare Gen. xix. 21, 'I have accepted thee/ 
or 'had respect to thee concerning this thing,' 
(TfOS rnNiw). Observe that MB tw) (irpoowiro- 
\vTTTris) is * one who shows respect to one person 
above another' (out of partiality). 

(27) 'Let me go, for the dawn arises.' It 
was anciently supposed that God revealed himself 
only in visions of the night, a notion which was 
afterwards extended to spiritual apparitions of 
all kinds, which, it was believed, were constrained 
to vanish at the first dawn of day. Compare 
Virgil, JEn. v. 739. 

(29) The name ^pttP is here derived from 
the words b$ Dy lb) ' He will contend with God 
for the princedom or mastery,' or 'he has princely 
power with God,' 'principem se gerit,' as Bux- 
torf renders it here and in Hos. xii. 5, and as 
Onkelos paraphrases it wqj Djn "m Dip W n VW 
'since thou art mighty before God and with 
man.' ^gj both here and in verse (26) means 
'to prevail.' Some commentators would con- 



CHAPTER XXXII. (29) -(33). 201 

nect D*ttb»"Djfi with b^r\] and disjoin it from 
O^rfri^rDy construing the passage thus, ' Thou hast 
contended for the mastery with God, and with 
men how much more shalt thou prevail ! ' But 
this is unnecessary, since it is doubtful whether 
l can convey the meaning of ^"^ ' how much 
more,' (which would be thus attached to it), and 
in verse (26) the preposition used with by is b 
(not oy), denoting ' to prevail over? or ' against' 

(31) 'I have seen God face to face, and my 
life is preserved,' i.e. 'and yet I am still alive.' 
It was usually supposed that ' no man could see 
God and live.' See the note on Gen. xvi. 13, * The 
well of the living seer,' i.e. 'of one who has 
seen God, and yet is still alive;' and compare 
Judg. xiii. 22, ' We] shall surely die, because we 
have seen God.' In all these cases it was an 
angel of the Lord who appeared in human form. 

(32) yhz wrn ' He was going sideways/ 
(awry), i. e. ' limping ; ' from ybx ' sl side.' Com- 
pare Psal. xxxviii. 18, 'I am ready to halt' (ybxb). 

(33) tfii^n T| This has been erroneously 
translated, * the sinew which shrank.'' The word 
T3 means ' a sinew/ or * tendon,' and HEO means 
primarily, 'the tendon which passes from the 
thigh into the leg,' ' the ischiadic nerve/ (Arabic 

15 



202 CHAPTER XXXII. (33) — XXXIII. (10). 

.*LudV)> an d secondarily, 'the seat of the ischiadic 
nerve,' 'the thigh;' so that TWT\ T3 is a com- 
plete phrase denoting 'the great tendon of the 
thigh,' to which the terra *LJ^ jy. ' nervus fe- 
moris' exactly corresponds. In Arabic occur the 
cognate verbs LJ ' percussit nervum ischiadicum,' 
and ^uj ' doluit ex eo,' ' ischiade laboravit.' 

1(yn ^3 is usually rendered 'acetabulum fe- 
moris,' ' the hollow ' or ' pan ' inside the joint of 
the knee where that great tendon is situated. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

(9) T) *b~& ' I have enough.' Compare 
Gen. xlv. 28, ' Jacob said, Enough ! ' (in) ; and 
Num. xvi. 3, ttb rn ' let it be enough for you.' 

(10) foilj^l The Vaw is that of transition 
(like the Arabic uj), and the sentence is to be 
translated thus, ' If I have found favour in thy 
eyes, then thou shalt accept my present from my 
hand, since I have seen thee, and thou hast been 
favourable to me.' Jacob was anxious that his 
brother should accept his present, because in the 
East, one who has received a gift from another, 
is bound, in honour at least, to do him no harm. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. (io)-(i3> 203 

On the use of J3"^jps ' since,' see the note on 
Gen. xviii. 5. 

(11) WQ primarily 'a blessing,' means 
here and in Judg. i. 15, and 1 Sam. xxv. 27, 
and xxx. 26, 'a present bestowed on meeting 
with, or parting from another,' 'an offering of 
salutation.' Compare 2 Kings iv. 29, where Tvk 
is equivalent to ' salutavit,' ' If thou shalt meet 
(^kpn) a man, do not salute him (^5"}in lib) and if 
any man salute thee fain?!) do not answer him.' 
From this use of It'll the noun rD"Q comes to 

t t : 

mean 'a salutation,' and hence 'an offering,' 
or 'present in token of salutation and well- 
wishing.' 

DNin ' has been brought.' This is for nNin 

T \ O T T ... 

the feminine preterite Hophal of ail Compare 
nrtD^ for nrDttfa in Isai. xxiii., and jnnpb in Gen. 
xx. 16, which some commentators suppose to be 
put for nrDi 'she was reproved,' taking the 
clause nroil ^b"riNJ"i as a remark of the historian, 
and not as part of the words of Abimelech. 

(13) ^jj nftj; is a sort of alliteration, jyty 
is the feminine plural of bfy ' Lactans/ ' infan- 
tulus,' (see Isai. lxv. 20). ty 'upon me,' i.e. 
' the care of providing for them lies upon me.' 
The Vaw in J)j*o is that of transition, like that 



204 CHAPTER XXXIII. (13M17). 

in JjnpV) in ver. (10) of this chapter. Translate 
'Should men drive them hard, then all the flock 
would die/ 

(14) i&ffh The word m means 'leniter,' 
'sensim;' comp. EK ^iTI (1 Kings xxi. 27), 'He 
went slowly,' ('softly'). The forms totfb and 
*b totitb occur in 2 Sam. xviii. 5, and Isai. viii. 6. 
In this passage E^b with the pronominal affix * 
signifies ' ad lentitudinem meam,' ' at my lei- 
sure.' 

r6rorw ' ego me ducam,' i. e. ' incedam.' 
PDtften brb 'at the pace of the cattle.' 

t t : - v v : x 

rDN^p is well rendered by Buxtorf ' res et sub- 
stantia qusevis circa quam opera et industria 
collocatur,' hence, 'property,' 'cattle.' 

(15) 'Let me place with thee some of my 
people as an escort.' 

Pit Ttish ' To what purpose would that be ? 
Let me find favour in the eyes of my lord.' 
The latter clause expresses a courteous entreaty 
on the part of Jacob, that Esau would accede to 
the request implied in the former, viz. that he 
would abstain from sending with him an escort, 
which would be worse than useless to him. 

(17) nfeb 'booths,' 'sheds' of boughs to 
protect the cattle from the rains of winter, 



CHAPTER XXXIII. (17M20). 205 

which are severe in Palestine. (In summer, 
as Michaelis well observes, such sheds would be 
unnecessary or injurious.) At the same time 
we find that Jacob built a house for himself, 
whereas in summer he dwelt in tents. 

(18) tibw has been rendered here ' Shalem,' 
as if it w T ere a proper name of the town of 
Shechem ; but this was certainly not the case ; 
and ubw should be rendered here 'incolumis.' 

*• T 

* He arrived safe at Shechem.' This translation 
is preferred by Rashi. 

Before y% we may supply b as in Ruth i. 19, 

VV TT ' 

(19) ' He bought the piece of ground where 
he had encamped for a hundred n©Htfj?' The 
last is a very obscure word, signifying, according 
to some, 'lambs,' and according to others, 'coin 
stamped with a figure of a lamb.' Dr Lee trans- 
lates it, (in Job xlii. 11), 'a shekel/ as 'some- 
thing weighed.' 

(20) ' He called it [the altar of] God, the 
God of Israel,' an elliptical construction, signi- 
fying that ' he dedicated it to the God of Israel.' 
Comp. Gen. xxxv. 7, ' He called the place [the 
place of] the God of Bethel,' where DipD must 
be supplied before bx as rtJTB here. See the note 



206 CHAPTER XXXIII. (20) — XXXIV. (3). 

on that passage. For the other titles of the 
Almighty that occur in the book of Genesis, see 
the note on Gen. xxxv. 7. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

(1) rvim rtiirb wn 'She went out to 
visit among the women of the country,' or per- 
haps 'to make acquaintance with them,' as in 
ifol n*rvi (Eccles. ii. 1). One Samaritan MS. 
reads twsyh *ut conspiceretur,' 'to show her- 
self to the daughters of the land.' Doubtless 
she went 'spectatum et spectaretur ut ipsa/ 
Compare Psal. xli. 7, ffiVft Hi Dtf ' If he comes 
to visit,' or ' on a visit.' 

(2) rrrw n§tth The m is here equivalent 
to DJJ 'with,' as in Numb. xxv. 14, 'The man 
who was slain (rwrarrriN) with the Midianite 
woman.' 

n|}P! ' and wronged her.' 

(3) nym ajjrtj; "trn ' He comforted the 
girl,' i. e. for the wrong he had done her, pro- 
mising her marriage. Compare DJ^ttftT 2*?"/!g ntt 
(Isai. xl. 2), 'Comfort ye Jerusalem,' and ISTJ 
baWjr (Gen. l. 21), 'he comforted them/ 



CHAPTER XXXIV. (7X22). 207 

(7) Dr6 nrr Comp.Gen.xxxi. 36 and xxxii.8. 

TW J£ *6 JD1 ' et ita non fieri debebat.' Con- 
cerniDg the use of the Niphal of Twy to express 
1 propriety,' see the note on JKtfJT; i6 "W8 why® 
(Gen. xx. 9), ' deeds which should not be done/ 
and Gen. xxix. 26. 

(9) tthi* ^TiJln c Contract affinity with us.' 

(10) ra WTNTn 'and make yourselves pro- 
prietors therein ;' i. e. s acquire possessions in the 
land.' 

(12) ty ^n 'Impose on me any amount of 
dower and presents.' 

(15) nno ' Only on this condition (nkll) shall 
we consent to you.' 

jT>0 * morem geremus,' ' conformabimus nos 
vobis,' is the 1st pers. plur. fut. Kal of JTiN JW 

(21) D v T r TQrn 'In utramque partem (ma- 
num) late patens ;' (compare D?T irn DTT Psal. 
civ. 25, and Judg. xviii. 10, and 1 Chron. iv. 40) ; 
'the land is quite open before them on every 
side,' i. e. ' it is amply sufficient for their main- 
tenance as well as ours;' or 'they have the choice 
of dwelling in it wherever they please without 
any loss to us.' 

(22) 'Only on this condition do the men 
consent to dwell with us, &c.' 



208 CHAPTER XXXIV. (25H30). 

(25) ntp2 T^n 'they came upon the city in 
security,' ' the unsuspecting city.' Some commen- 
tators however connect nt?5 as an adverb with 
*i**2j and translate the clause, * they came boldly 
upon the city.' 

(27) ' The [other] sons of Jacob came upon 
the slain (supervenerunt occisis), and plundered 
the city contumeliously.' 

(30) via DWTgjJ ' Ye have troubled me,' 
' disquieted me (who was before in peaceful se- 
curity) ;' a metaphor from stirring up water so 
as to make it turbid instead of clear. 

HSpp \Tip W} ' as for me [and my family] we 
are men of number] i. e. ' not innumerable,' 
'easily counted.' Compare Isai. x. 19, 'the 
remnant of the trees of the forest shall be a 
number,' (")£pp WT) i.e. 'a small number,' ' shall be 
easy to count.' Compare also nspp WD TO T\U^ b® 
(Deut. xxxiii. 6), ' Let not [Reuben] perish, [nor] 
let his men be few,' (easily counted, 'a limited 
number ') ; and Gen xvi. 10, ' It shall not be 
numbered/ 12& tibi.e. 'It shall be innumerable ;' 
and 1 Kings viii. 5, ' They shall not be number- 
ed/ i. e. 'shall be innumerable.' 

•0& is here an ellipsis for ra *0K ' I and my 
family,' which occurs at the end of the verse. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. (30) — XXXV. (7). 209 

Wtflrf? 'to make me odious;' WX2 is evi- 
dently of common origin with the Arabic ^b 
(malum). 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

(2) -D2n ^^ ' Di alienigense ;' literally, ' the 
gods of the alien.' 

(3) ''ilk njjjn 'qui me exaudivit.' 

(4) DO is here 'an ear-ring,' but in Gen. 
xxiv. 22, (where see the note), ' a nose-ring.' 

(5) tfrfry Ann ' a mighty panic ;' tfrfy* 
being used here merely as a superlative. Com- 
pare DTfrg ^^25 ' violent struggles,' Gen. xxx. 8. 

(7) Here we find another account of the 
origin of the name ' Bethel,' which Jacob (as it is 
here implied) had already conferred on the town 
of Luz (see Gen. xxviii. 19), when he was fleeing 
from his brother to Haran. Similarly, we find 
a double account of the origin of the name 'Beer- 
sheba' (in Gen. xxi. 31, and xxvi. 32), and with- 
out any reference in the second case to the 
circumstances of the first ; which suggests the 
possibility that the two accounts belong to the 
same events. 



210 CHAPTEIl XXXV. (7)-( l6 )- 

'He called the place [the place of] the God 
of Bethel :' Dipb must be supplied again before 
bx just as rQrp must be supplied before the same 
word in Gen. xxxiv. 20, (where see the note). 
The phrase is equivalent to, 'He dedicated the 
place to the God of Bethel,' i. e. ' to the God who 
had appeared to him at Bethel.' 

DVftg fea *3 The word D^rftg 'God' is here 
used as a plural, as in Gen. xx. 13 (where see the 
note), and in several other passages there quoted. 
The Masorites have appended the note wip to in- 
dicate that D^rftg means ' God' in this passage, 
and not 'angels' or 'princes,' as it does in most 
places where it is used as a plural. The Sama- 
ritan Pentateuch reads rfcfl whence the LXX. 

translate the clause, ckbl yap eirecpavr] aurw 6 0eos. 

(16) VlMTTn:?! <a certain short distance.'' 
This word occurs again in a recapitulation of 
the same history in Gen. xlviii., and also in 
2 Kings v. 19. Some take it to mean 'a mile,' 
others 'two miles,' others 'a stadium.' Kimchi 
thinks that the root of this word is nil the 2 

T T 

being the preposition of comparison (' about,' ' as 
it were'), and that hence yS^iTJtfaa means ' about 
the distance that one would travel from morning 
dawn to breakfast time.' 



CHAPTER XXXV. (i6)-(22). 211 

Wpft] e and she suffered severely,' ' she had a 
hard labour.' Compare the Arabic ^j 

(21) 7$r*FtXcb nxbnn 'beyond the tower of 
Eder.' 

(22) In the middle of this verse there is a 
remarkable 'lacuna,' as if some passage or word 
had been lost ; or as if it were intended that the 
record of Reuben's sin should be separated by a 
considerable interval from the genealogy which 
follows it. Observe that there are two athnacks in 
this verse, viz. under VQN and bitrw* Some sup- 

• t •• t : • x 

ply after bvnp) the clause vyya, jnj ' and it 
displeased him ;' and such appears to have been 
the reading of the LXX., who insert the words 

Kal irovrjpov e(pdvrj evawriov avrov. The MaSOnteS 

append the note, 'There is here a pause (NpDS) 
in the middle of a verse ;' as they do also at 
Numb. xxv. 19, which forms part of the same 
verse with that at the beginning of the next 
chapter; chapter xxv. concluding with an ath- 
nack, and the sentence begun in its last verse 
being finished in chapter xxvi. 



212 CHAPTER XXXVI. (6)-(i6). 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

(6), (7) It has been well suggested, that when 
Jacob found Esau in the hill-country of Seir, 
(before they were both at Hebron at the funeral 
of their father), he was not yet permanently set- 
tled there, but had gone there on an exploring 
expedition, leaving his flocks and family in Pales- 
tine, and taking with him only a band of men for 
personal security ; and that now when he found 
that the country about Hebron was not such 
as to maintain the cattle both of himself and 
his brother, they separated by mutual consent, 
as Abraham and Lot had done before, and Esau 
took up his residence in the country of Seir. 

H*H*? "sfe Either the word iyw has been 
omitted by transcribers after \na or the meaning 
of this phrase is, ' he went abroad ; ' or ' went 
into a[nother] country/' 

(16) *)&** This word is either equivalent 
to *\bx -)b (Exod. xviii. 21), ' captain of a thou- 
sand,' ^iX/a i o^os > ; or means ' doctor,' and hence 
'ductor,' as derived from t\bx 'didicit/ and t)^ 
'docuit.' This title was probably confined to 
the princes of Edom. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. (2o)-( 3 i). 213 

(20) D^h means 'the inhabitants of caves' 
(Tin), * Troglodytse,' who abounded in Idumea, 
and the district of Petra. 

(24) njai This Waw is pleonastic, and does 
not occur in the recapitulation of this passage 
in 1 Chron. i. 40. The remark about njg is in- 
serted probably in order to distinguish him from 
the other m> the fourth son of Seir mentioned 

T -• 

in ver. (20). 

CNSJ has been rendered 'mules,' as though 
Anah having a drove of asses, had bred mules 
out of them for the first time with mares ; but 
this would not be properly expressed by the verb 
HID ' invenhy and mules probably existed before 
that period. It has with greater probability been 
regarded as the plural of D^ and rendered ' wa- 
ters,' i. e. either ' pools,' or ' springs/ the ' dis- 
covery* of which in the desert was always of 
great importance. Jerom renders it, 'aquas 
calidas.' It is true that hot springs abound in that 
district, but why should D^ have this meaning? 
Perhaps Jerom confounded frDTJ with D^pn 
(Arabic D^pn) ' aqua calida et fervens.' 

(26) l^pn resembles the Arab name of a 
tribe, 'Hamdan.' 

(31) ^p-^p »asfe &c. It has been objected 



214 CHAPTER XXXVI. (31)— XXXVII. (3). 

that Moses could not have written this, because 
there were no kings of Israel till long after his 
death. An answer to this objection may be de- 
rived from Deut. xxxiii. 5, where it is said of 
Moses himself ^9 jrwra TO ' he was king in 
Jeshurun (Israel);' so that the meaning of the 
present passage may be simply, that 'all these 
kings of Edom preceded the time of Moses! 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

(2) ' These are the annals of Jacob,' or ' This 
is the history of Jacob's family.' See the note 
on Gen. ii. 4 and v. 1. 

Tg3 wrn ' he being young.' 
*02L~n8 is in apposition with WJ^rw 
r\T] means 'evil report' both here and in 
Num. xiii. 32, and Prov. xxv. 10, although its 
root 121 means simply c to speak ;' see Cant. vii. 9. 

(3) D^DS The word D2 in Chaldee means 
'a small piece' or 'fragment.' Hence it has been 
supposed that this garment of Joseph was a patch- 
work of fragments of cloth of various colours sewn 
together. Some commentators however think this 
improbable, because David's daughter is said to 



CHAPTER XXXVII. (3M23). 215 

have worn a D^pg nah? (see 2 Sam. xiii. 18), and 
'a garment of patchwork would not be suitable 
to a princess.' They therefore take D^DB to mean 
'certain ornaments attached as a fringe to the 
borders of the sleeves, or to the opening for the 
neck, or both/ 

(11) *"i£ttf 'he kept in remembrance,' 'he re- 
tained.' Compare zbl "l&a in Dan. vii. 28, and 

SiaTrjpeiv kv ty\ KapVia. in Luke 11. 51. 

(18) Sm bsiIV 'plotted against him;' usu- 
ally the forms of bDl require 1 or b to follow 
them, e. g. D?^ tea "ittw DnteaiL (Num. xxv. 18), 
rajn teairi (Psal. cv. 25). 

(19) nj&n 'this here;' comp. Gen. xxiv. 65, 
where (as in this verse) it is used of a ' person 
approaching,' and not contemptuously, as Ro- 
senmuller says. 

niD^nn byi This use of byi is exactly simi- 
lar to that of the Arabic 3 j in A^Sj\ ^ Compare 
D^n s b)n (Gen. xlix. 23), and nni ^yi (Gen. xiv. 
13). "" 

(21) tttea »333 iib 'Let us not smite him as 
to his life,' i. e. mortally. 

(23) abWSQ N'T} The second 1 is that of 
transition, (like the Arabic Li)« Translate: 'It 
came to pass when Joseph came to his brethren 



216 CHAPTER XXXVII. (23H36). 

that they stripped him.' Compare Gen. xliv. 3 
and 4. 

(25) nrnit 'a caravan;' comp. Isai. xxi. 13. 

b*n n^tt riND? ' storacem, et opobalsamum, et 
ladanum.' Concerning 'XdSovov' see Herodotus 
in. 112. 

(28) t)D2 p'^V4 'for twenty [shekels] of 
silver :' bpw is not unfrequently omitted ; com- 
pare Gen. xx. 16, 6)03 *£tf 

^2*1 Twice in this verse there is a very 
abrupt change of person; but the sense leaves 
no doubt of the subject of the verb in each case. 

(30) 'The boy is no more ;' ^N is a frequent 
euphemism for ' he is dead.' See the note on Gen. 
v. 24, where the same phrase is used of Enoch. 

(36) njng Dnp literally, ' a eunuch of Pha- 
raoh;' or perhaps 'a minister of state/ because 
anciently eunuchs held many offices of trust. 
The events of the succeeding history render the 
literal sense of D'Hp not improbable. Compare 
2 Kings xx. 18, and Isai. xxxix. 7, 'They shall be 
eunuchs (D^pnp) in the palace of the king of 
Babylon.' 

D^ni^n np ' captain of the lictors,' i. e. ' of the 
body guard of the king ;' literally, ' chief of the 
executioners,' 'chef des bourreaux;' from HUD 



CHAPTER XXXVII. (34)— XXXTIII. (3). 217 

'mactavit'. It can scarcely mean 'chief of the 
cooks', as some have supposed, since in Jer. lii. 
Xebuzaradan, an officer of the first rank under 
the king of Babylon, is called by this title. 

(35) The word bk& means here ' Hades', ; the 
grave', as in the 14th chapter of Isaiah. 

Since the Midianites were descendants of Ish- 
mael, the names 'Midianites' and 'Ishmaelites' 
are employed in this chapter as synonyms. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

(1) iTN" y En This may simply mean 'di- 
vertit usque ad hominem'; 'he turned aside to', 
i.e. 'he visited a man', (compare rrfo? EQ 'he 
turned aside to her, in ver. 16 below) ; or it 
rnav be an ellipsis for u :, n"n s nTWBTTP "fina DPI 
i. e. 'He continued pitching his tent (at different 
stations) until he came to a man'. The latter 
translation is analogous to that given in the note 
on the phrase EfnrTJJ t XJ&l (Gen. xiii. 2), viz. 
'He encamped (at successive stations) until he 
arrived at Sodom', ' as far as Sodom'. 

KTpPi sc NHfipn ■ one called': a species of 

K 



218 CHAPTER XXXVIII. (3M14}. 

impersonal, equivalent to 'they called', or 'his 
name was called ' ; since if the mother were the 
subject of the verb, it would have been N"ipJl 

(8) fifth* Q2>) This verb, which is here in 
the imperative Pihel, means * to perform the duty 
of a brother, or next of kin, in marrying the wife 
of a man who had died childless', ' lemri officium 
prsestare'. Compare Deut. xxv. 5. This custom 
is referred to in the passage of the New Testa- 
ment (Matt. xxii. 24) where a question is pro- 
posed by the Sadducees concerning the resur- 
rection of the dead. That its effect was evil is 
evident from the whole of this narrative. 

(11) na "attf 'Sit (i. e. 'remain') a widow in 
thy father's house'. 2 may be here supplied after 
the verb it^ as in Gen. xviii. 1, iSnirrina If* 
and Num. xxv. 6, i%)n brj'n nra D^2 and again 
in the last clause of this verse. 

JYtoj")S Concerning the use of ]2 in this and 
other passages, see the note on Gen. iii. 22. Judah 
supposed that there was something fatal in Ta- 
mar as a wife, and therefore delayed to give her 
in marriage to his third son though old enough 
to marry. 

(14) sy»ys is the 'peplum talare', or 'wrap- 
per' worn out of doors by women in Syria and 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. (14) -(16). 219 

Egypt, which covers the head and the whole 
body to the ankles, called by the Arabs j\j\ 

&]?% nJnaiL This is rendered by some com- 
mentators, 'In the gate of Enaim', which they 
take to be a small town, and the same as wy in 
Josh. xv. 34 ; (see Gesenius' Thesaurus). Others 
suppose that there were two fountains on the 
road to Timnath, and that Tamar sat at the ap- 
proach to them. The latter interpretation is the 
more probable, because the gate of a town would 
have been a position more public than her occa- 
sion required, since she wanted only to put her- 
self in Judah's way. Besides in verse (21) of this 
chapter, we find that she sat ' by the way-side', or 
6 on the road ', not in the gate of a town ; and the 
enquiries about her were addressed to the men 
of the place (Dl'pan), not to ' the men of the town'. 

(15) Judah supposed Tamar to be a harlot 
because she sat alone in a public place which a 
matron would not have done, and because she 
was veiled, which a virgin would not have been. 
See the note on Gen. xx. 16, where Sarah is re- 
proved for having gone unveiled, and so given the 
impression that she was an unmarried virgin. 

(16) ryhvi m 'He turned aside to her\ See 
the note on ttPanK to; in verse (1) of this chapter. 

K2 



220 CHAPTER XXXVIII. (i6)-(2i). 

xrnin 'Come on now'. See the note on 

T T T 

TOP? in Gen. xi. 4. 

TT 

(17) Jfifi-DH 'If thou wilt give', i.e. 'wilt 
thou give?' a courteous form of entreaty. Or 
there may be an ellipsis to be supplied thus: 
' I will consent, if &c.' 

(18) spnh 'thy signet-ring'; tfrt&i 'and 
thy handkerchief, ' sudarium tuum 5 , as it is well 
rendered by Buxtorf; or 'thy turban', (i.e. a 
napkin or handkerchief wrapped about the 
head). Others suppose ^JiS) to mean here ' fu- 
niculus', i.e. 'the string or chain of twisted cord 
with which the signet-ring was attached to the 
dress or wrist', ('a watch-chain', as we should 
say). But the signet-ring was probably worn 
on the finger, agreeably to the undoubted cus- 
tom of the ancient Egyptians ; and in verse (25) 
the same word occurs in the plural, and must 
therefore mean in that place 'whatever napkins 
or handkerchiefs he carried about him either 
on the head or elsewhere'. 

(21) D^yi 'at the two fountains'. If D??g 
were here the name of a town, it would be 
preceded by 2 and not by 2 which implies the 
definite article. 

Observe that the expression T^sT^l ' on 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. (21X25). 221 

(or 'by') the road,' does not apply to the gate 
of a town. See the note on verse (14) of this 
chapter. 

PTBpp HM» 'the men of her place'; i.e. 'the 
men who happened to be near the place where 
she used to sit'. 

(23) rfftijm ' Let her take [them] for her- 
self, i. e. ' let her keep [the things she has 
in pledge] ; (nor let us by making further en- 
quiry about her, publish our disappointment), 
lest we become an object of derision (to those 
who shall perceive that we have been defrauded, 
the things left in pledge being of greater value 
than the kid ) : I have sent the kid (and so ful- 
filled my part of the agreement), and now that 
the woman is not to be found [there is an end 
of the matter]'. 

(24) DTO vhwtoS 'in a triad of months'; 
i.e. 'after three months'; 3 is merely a pre- 
position of time, as in the phrases DV? ' to-day', 
nys ' at this time ' ; and wbwo is a noun signi- 
fying 'tertiatio'. 

(25) najpa 'She was being brought out'; 
the passive participle feminine Hiphil of nip 
Compare the forms mttf>D and ritf^DD from 2ttr» 

i .... - : s - t 

and tf^D respectively. 



222 CHAPTER XXXVIII. (26) -(30). 

(26) ' She is more in the right than I, be- 
cause I did not give her to Shelah'. ]2"^-»2 
'since', 'inasmuch as'; see the note on Gen. 
xviii. 5, 

(27) T\Tpb 'Her child-bearing'; rrb is the 
apocopated infinitive of -fr 

(28) T-)rp] W The second Vaw is that of 
transition. Construe 'It came to pass that a 
hand was put forth'. Either ins* must be sup- 
plied before ]W so that it may mean ' [one of 
the twins] put forth his hand'; or pv must be 
regarded as an impersonal verb equivalent to 
the German 'es gab', 'es erscheint', 'apparuit', 
'there appeared a hand', 'there was a hand 
put forth'. Compare rnjj ]fi> ^narigB (Job 
xxxvii. 10), 'from the breath of God there comes 
frost'; and HSE \F\\ })l\l (Prov. xiii. 10), 'with 
arrogance there arises strife'. 

•W is for •w iDm 'a red cord' or 'thread', 

• T • T 7 

see Josh. ii. 18. 

(29) 2WS3 'when he drew back (his hand)'. 
3 is here a preposition of time, as in Gen. xl. 10, 
rirnsp 'when it sprouted'. 

(30) risna-n? 'Why hast thou broken 
forth ? ' or rather, ' How hast thou broken ! ' 
'What a breach hast thou made!' 'on thee be 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. (30) — XXXIX. (11). 223 

the [blame of the] breaking;' i.e. 'the fault 
of the injury done to thy mother and thy twin 
brother, is thine, not mine' (the midwife's). 
Compare 1 Chron. xiii. 11, where yns is simi- 
larly used of a rent or wound in a person. 
Some interpret the above phrase metaphorically, 
thus, 'Why hast thou interrupted (broken) the 
order of birth which seemed to have been ap- 
pointed ? ' The twin called Zerah was so named 
as having appeared first, from rnj. 'apparuit'. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

(2) rim W ' He was employed in his 
master's house' ; i. e. ' as a household servant 
he held a station superior to that of slaves 
employed in the field'. 

(11) njn D1TE) 'On such and such a day', 
i. e. 'on a certain day'. 

The complete phrase would be rwrn rf?rr DVH2 
like nVD) n\3 'thus and thus (he did to me)', 
Judg. xviii. 4. 

PTJVl Wish 'To the men of her house'. A 
Samaritan MS. reads nrva HtfA 'to the women 



224 CHAPTER XXXIX. (n)-(2 3 ). 

of her house'. The latter would be more in 
accordance with Eastern customs, which care- 
fully exclude all males except the husband from 
women's apartments. 

(15) m pmb The Pihel of pm followed by 
2 may mean here 'to insult', or it may be used 
euphemistically, to express epconKws trvftwai^ew, as 
it does in Gen. xxvi. 8: 'Abimelech saw Isaac* 
'caressing his wife' "fottfjrfw pmD 

(20) nrfon m 'the round-house'; here 'a 
prison-tower', or 'vaulted cell'. The word "Vtd 
occurs nowhere except in this passage, and its 
meaning is inferred only from Cant. vii. 2, where 
T7Dil ||tf means 'a round cup'. Perhaps n^b 
'clausura', would be an improvement on the 
present reading. 

(21) fan \m is equivalent to ]n faft*l or 
ID ^ ID?] ' He gave him favour'. 

(23) rrbsD rnrr nwy wnrwm Compare Ps. 
i. 3, pfts; rifegH^j bb) 



CHAPTER XL. (3)-(io). 225 

CHAPTER XL. 

(3) It is not probable that Potiphar was 
the DTtetSH ~)W (prsefectus lictorum) here spoken 
of, though he held that office, as appears from 
the first verse of the last chapter ; since it is 
unlikely that having himself imprisoned Joseph 
for his supposed misconduct towards his wife, 
he should have treated him with such peculiar 
lenity. We must conclude that there was a plu- 
rality of those officers. 

(4) DfiK ^DVrnfc 1p2] ' He appointed Joseph 
[to be] with them'; i.e. to be 'their compa- 
nion and attendant ' ; accordingly ' he ministered 
to them', they being prisoners of distinction. 

QW 'a considerable period of time'. See 
the note on Gen. iv. 3, and compare Numb, 
ix. 22. 

(10) "xx\ nmEp &H\ Translate: 'And it 
(the vine) seemed p [to me in my dream] to 
be sprouting, [so that] its blossom appeared, 
and its clusters (or ' berries ') ripened into 
grapes'. Some commentators take the p in 
nrnkp to be a preposition of time, as in ywDS 
in Gen. xxxviii. 29, and translate the clause, 
6 and when it was sprouting, the blossom of it ap- 

K5 



226 CHAPTER XL. (io)-(i 3 ). 

peared\ The vine had three principal branches 

canto 

• T 

rr^3 is a contracted form of Prm? Compare 
ft22 for rrnia in Prov. vii. 8. 

T • T T • 

(11) Vines were always very scarce in Egypt, 
the soil being quite unsuitable to them ; and be- 
fore the time of Psammetichus (according to He- 
rodotus) the Egyptians never drank wine or any 
liquor made from grapes ; but after he introduced 
them, the rich began to drink the juice of fresh 
grapes, pressed from them into a cup. 

(13) gtwrr/W 8W This means literally, 
'he shall raise (exalt) thy head', i.e. 'he shall 
raise thee from thy present state of abasement' ; 
but it is most probable that here, as well as in 
verse (20) below, it is an idiomatic phrase sig- 
nifying, 'he shall take account of thee indi- 
vidually'; 'he shall review thy conduct along 
with that of his other servants'. Such must 
necessarily be the meaning of the same phrase 
in Exod. xxx. 12, 'Thou shalt make a reckon- 
ing ('review', or 'census',) of the Israelites 
according to their offices', b$nwp3? ttWTTiK Kt^n 
and in Numb. L 49, 'Thou shalt not reckon 
the sons of Levi along with the rest of the 
children of Israel', mn & DtMh"ii» 



CHAPTER XL. (i3)-(i6). 227 

*FII 'thy basis', 'thy station', as in Exod. 
xxx. 28. 

IDS^D ' custom'. 

iafg is put for "ittW? ' when ' ; ' at the same 
time that'. Compare Deut. xi. 6, 1 Kings viii. 9, 
and the next verse of this chapter. 

(14) 'But thou shalt bear me in thy mind'; 
literally, ' sed mei apud te recorderis'. 

(15) 'I was utterly stolen away'; i.e. 'it 
was owing entirely to unjust force that I left 
my own country'. Such is here the sense con- 
veyed by the infinitive of repetition. 

(16) •nb ^p If nh be put for nnh 'fora- 
mina 5 , this will mean 'canistra foraminum', i. e. 
'canistra foraminosa', 'baskets of pierced wicker- 
work 5 . If "Hh be taken as a noun (of the form 
>&?&n)» it may either mean 'wicker-work', (and 
*iH ^p ' baskets of wicker-work ', ' canistra fora- 
minosi operis ') or ' whiteness ', (and nh ^p ' bas- 
kets of whiteness', i. e. ' white baskets', white 
either from, the white bread they contained, or, 
rather, from their being made of white twigs in- 
terwoven). Comp. Esther i. 6, and viii. 15, where 
the adjective Tin is taken by some to mean 'white', 
and by others ' made of net work', ' foramino- 
sus'. Some, with less probability, take nh to 



228 CHAPTER XL. (16), (19). 

mean 'white bread', and nh ^D 'baskets for 
white bread', i. e. such as white bread was usually 
carried in. 

Observe that Herodotus, in lib. n. 35, states 
that 6 it was customary in Egypt for weights to be 
carried on their heads by men, and by the women 
on their shoulders' ; which agrees with this pas- 
sage, and also with that in chap, xvi., where Abra- 
ham puts the provision for her journey on Hagar's 
shoulder, she being an Egyptian handmaid. 

(19) 'He shall lift ' m\ thy head from off 
thee'. Rosenmuller admirably observes on this 
passage, ' In his verbis a^cpifiokia est, et detorsio 
phraseos in versu (13) usurpatse ad sensum in- 
faustum. Dicit ergo " recensebit caput tuum", sed 
inexpectato addit ^y? quo ostenditur "levare 
caput" esse " id auferre". " Caput" ab aliquo " au- 
ferri" dicitur, etsi non prsecidatur, cum supplicio 
extremo afficitur. Latine quoque capite plecti 
aliquem dicunt, cum mortis ei poena infertur'. 
The phrase, ' He shall lift thy head from off thee', 
does not therefore necessarily mean, 'he shall 
decapitate thee'; but, 'he shall take account of 
thee for evil', 'in te animadvertet', a phrase si- 
milarly employed in Latin to express 'capital 
punishment'. 



CHAPTER XL. (19) — XLI. (6). 229 

yy b% 'on a cross', 'in arborem infelicem'. 

(20) tt?*h"T»N tffcn ' He took account of them 
among his other servants', (reviewing and inves- 
tigating their conduct individually). See the 
note on the same phrase in ver. (13). 



CHAPTER XLI. 

(1) 'Two years of days', i. e. 'two complete 
years' (Joseph lay forgotten in prison). 

(2) mx is one of several Egyptian words 
that occur in this chapter. It means ' the rank 
grass or reeds that grow spontaneously in the 
mud of the Nile after the inundation', as is proved 
by the only 'other passage where it occurs, viz. 
Job viii. 11, D^f^l Jina-*Ott^ 'shall the reeds 
grow without water?' with which the preceding- 
clause of the same verse is exactly parallel and 
similar in signification. The authorized version 
'meadow' appears therefore to be erroneous, 
though it agrees with the Syriac version Win the 
Arabic A\ and that of the Vulgate ' loci cam- 
pestres'. 

(6) 'Blasted of (by) the East wind'. This 
applies only to the Lower Egypt, e. g. the Delta 
and the neighbourhood of Cairo where Pharaoh 



230 CHAPTER XLI. (6H23). 

reigned, and where the East wind, as in Pales- 
tine, blows from the Arabian desert.' In Upper 
Egypt the East wind, coming from the Red Sea, 
is the most favourable to vegetation. 

(8) D^STin Some derive this word from am 
' explanavit ' and D^D i. q. |£ID ' clausit', ' abscondi- 
dit', so that the compound word uwiri may mean 
' rerum absconditarum interpres'. But there are 
scarcely any instances of such compounds in the 
Shemitic languages, and it is more probably an 
Egyptian word. The LXX. render it i^rjyrjTfj?. 

(16) iiybl ' without me' ; 'me excepto' ; see 
Isai. xliii. 16, and xliv. 6, and compare the note 
on Gen. xiv. 24. In this word the last Kametz 
indicates the addition of the pronominal affix Yod 
of the 1st person singular to the adverb HJ&l 
(with the Tzere). Though this word has the Ath- 
nack, it must be construed in connexion with the 
following clause, thus : e "Without me (i. e. though 
I may be unable to do it) God can give Pharaoh 
an answer of peace'. 

(23) m'MJ This adjective occurs no where 
else in the Hebrew Scriptures ; it is probably of 
the same derivation as the Arabic Jw> 'a hard 
stone,' meaning, as Rashi says, ' dry as a stone', 
or 'as hard'. 



CHAPTER XLI. (25X40). 231 

(25) The dream of Pharaoh was repeated in 
order to arrest his attention the more forcibly, 
and suggest to him that it was not an ordinary 
dream, but a vision sent from God. See verse 
(32) of this chapter. 

(31) l?""Hni* 'afterwards'. See Gen. xv. 14. 

(34) "T0EM njna nfoj£ 'Let Pharaoh cause 
that he appoint' (i. e. that the governor appoint); 
or ' Let Pharaoh take care to appoint', ' Id agat 
Pharaoh ut constituat', the Vaw being regarded 
as that of transition, (like the Arabic <_J). Some 
commentators, taking the Vaw as the ordinary 
conjunction, translate the clause, 'Let Pharaoh 
do this (viz. 'appoint a governor'); and let him 
(the governor) appoint'. 

(35) ' They collected every sort of food', or 
6 all the food they could', not 'all the food'. See 
the note on verse (48) below. 

(40) paf; T?~^ * On thy mouth shall all my 
people kiss'; in acknowledgement of thy supreme 
authority. (Compare 12 ipm Psal. ii. 12, 'Kiss 
the Son', i. e. in token of submission to him ; and 
1 Kings xix. 18, and Hos. xiii. 2, where the same 
token of respect is spoken of as paid to idols. In 
1 Sam. x. 1, Samuel kisses Saul when he anoints 
him king). If this be the meaning of the phrase, 



232 CHAPTER XLI. (40M43). 

it must be used here metaphorically. In general, 
however, the verb pttfa ' to kiss', governs an accu- 
sative immediately, and if construed mediately, is 
followed by b (as in Gen. xlviii. 10, and l. 1, and 
1 Kings xviii. 19, )b pw-Ti) ; and Sp5~^g usually 
means 'at thy command'; (compare njn? i^'by 
Gen. xlv. 21, 'at the command of Pharaoh'). 
Some commentators therefore prefer to translate 
the above phrase, ' all my people shall run at thy 
command', (pw\ being taken as the future of ppttJ 
'cucurrit'); or 'all my people shall dispose (their 
affairs) at thy command', (because flttfg *gtpa means 

' furnished with bows'; and the Arabic j^j means 
'ordinavit', 'disposuit recte'). 

(43) They called before him, 'Abrek'. In 
Coptic, 'Oube-rek' means 'Bow the head'. Some 
derive ^ilN from the verb "-pi 'genuflexit', and 
the Arabic imperative <jjjt 'kneel', and take it to 
be a form of ^in the imperative Hiphil of ipl 
(like MtM* for VDWn in Jer. xxv. 3). But there 
can be no doubt that it is an ancient Egyptian 
word, and the actual cry of those who ran before 
Joseph. With )iro the infinitive of Jjnj we must 
supply ]rn from )F\F\ pra (Num. xxi. 2), and 
translate the clause, ' He thoroughly set him over 
all the land of Egypt' ; i. e. he omitted no mark 



CHAPTER XLI. (43)-fe°)' 233 

of investiture in exalting him to the dignity of 
prime minister of state. 

(44) iiJHf) *3£ ' [As surely as] I am Pharaoh, 
no one shall lift hand or foot without thee', i. e. 
'without thy approval'. Compare verse (15) of the 
next chapter, where Joseph swears by ' the life of 
Pharaoh'. 

(45) In the compound name given by Pha- 
raoh to Joseph, mys cannot possibly be a Hebrew 
word. The name has been derived, with some 
probability, from two Coptic words, signifying 
'sal vat or ssecli', or 'mundi'. 

(47) WXOpb 'ad manipulos', 'ad pugillos'; 
compare the phrase 'plena vola\ 

(48) tek-^-m yap; 'not all the food'; but 
'all that which constituted the fifth part of the 
produce of the land' ; or ' every sort of food'. 

(50) ' On' is the Egyptian name of the Sun ; 
as Cyril says in his Commentary on Hosea. The 
city denoted by this name must therefore be He- 
liopolis, which Jeremiah calls ttOtf JTa in xliii. 
13, and Ezekiel (xxx. 17) contemptuously calls 
\)X for ])K r>\2 'House of nought' or 'vanity'. Its 
inhabitants were chiefly priests. Observe the 
policy of Joseph's forming affinity with an Egyp- 
tian hierarch, in a country where priests were 



234 CHAPTER XLI. (50) — XLII. (2). 

the highest caste, and possessed most of the 
wealth and power of the realm. 

(52) The name of 'Ephraim' being in the 
dual number denotes ' double fecundity', this 
being the name of Joseph's second son. 

{56) Dra -i^K-^-ritf This is an elliptical 
phrase, meaning 'every [storehouse] in which 
was [grain]'. 

nhtth 'and he dealt in corn'. This verb, de- 
rived from nittf ' annona' means 'to sell, or to 
buy corn'. See ver. (57). 



CHAPTER XLII. 

(1) ^riri TO*? 'Why do ye gaze at one an- 
other?' (in perplexity). The Samaritan MSS. 
read lanwi mb 'Why do ye give way to fear?' 
with which the version of the LXX. {paOv^elre), 
and that of Onkelos and the Syriac and Arabic 
versions agree, and which is probably the true 
reading. Compare W*H?K WW rnrp in verse 
(28) of this chapter. 

(2) ~)2w 'corn on sale', 'annona'; see the 
note on ver. (56) of the last chapter. Some con- 
nect this word with nittf 'fregit', because corn 



CHAPTER XLII. (2)-(i8). 235 

'breaks famine'; see ver. (19) of this chapter. 
The words Dnspi nlttreh *3 may be rendered 
'that there is corn for sale in Egypt'. 

(9) 'To see the nakedness of the land', i. e. 
'to observe its defenceless points, and where it 
was most exposed to an invader'. 

(13) 'And one is no more'; see the note on 
v. 24, and xxxvii. 30. 

(14) 'That is [exactly] what I said to yon'. 
Joseph affects the obstinate perverseness of a 
prince who will not readily allow that he is in 
the wrong. 

(15) DN njns TT '[As sure as] Pharaoh is 
alive, ye shall not leave this place unless', &c. 
Compare verse (16), 'As sure as Pharaoh is alive 
ye are spies'. Joseph adopts the same oath, 'by the 
life of Pharaoh', which Pharaoh himself employs 
in ver. (44) of the last chapter. See the note on 
Gen. xiv. 23, concerning the use of DN in a nega- 
tive sense in adjurations and asseverations. 

(18) 'Do this and [so] live', i.e. 'if ye do 
this ye shall live'; vrn being equivalent to siVTjrn 
When the verbs in two clauses connected by the 
Yaw of transition are imperatives, they are often 
equivalent respectively to a conditional and a 
future ; see the note on Gen. xx. 7. 



236 CHAPTER XLII. (i9)-(34> 

(19) pijri "Qtt? 'corn that may break the 
famine of your families'; 12W being connected 
with the verb *)2W 'fregit'. See the note on 
verse (2) of this chapter. 

(23) pte 'an interpreter'. Joseph had at 
this time been in Egypt at least twenty years, 
and therefore must have been perfectly ac- 
quainted with the Egyptian language, and so 
could easily affect to need an interpreter, even 
supposing that he had not forgotten to talk the 
language of Palestine, which was very possible 
in so long an absence from that country. 

(27) I'nrrjfiEN The singular of this word is 
nrtJnp^ from nriD 'extensit', because a sack is 
stretched by being filled. 

(28) ITttrtg ttfy* rnrtj ' They (mutually) ex- 
pressed their alarm one to another'. See the 
note on verse (1) of this chapter. 

(33) |tjjnnn» is elliptical for )iajn TjgTT* 
Compare verse (19). 

(34) nnpri ywnna 'Ye shall traffick 
throughout the land'; nnp 'circuivit negotiandi 



CHAPTER XLIII. (2)-(n). 237 

CHAPTER XLIII. 

(2) Here *)2W means 'corn', not 'corn on 
sale', as before. 

(3) ^2 "ryn iyn ' He strongly averred to us, 
saying', &c. ; literally, 'He repeatedly called us 
to witness [the truth of his words] in declaring 
that we should not see him again unless', &c. 
Compare Exod. xix. 23. When this verb is used, 
2 is usually prefixed to the name of the person 
called to witness. 

'According to these words', i. e. we gave him 
an answer to each of these several questions 
which he put to us. 

(9) ^b "T^rri ' Then I will bear the blame 
to thee', i.e. 'I will be to blame to thee'. In 
Gen. xxxi. 39, the Pihel of the same verb is used 
in the sense ' To take the blame [of it] on one- 
self, 'to make amends for a fault'. See the note 
on that passage. 

(10) tifcb 'if not' ; compounded of A and lib 

(11) N13N J2-DK 'If then it be so, do this'. 
Compare NlStf *»p (Gen. xxvii. 33), ' who then is 
he, &c.' (where see the note), and wigtt nw nitfjr 
(Prov. vi. 3), 'Do this then my son'; and wag >yi m 
(Job xix. 6), 'Know therefore'. 



238 CHAPTER XLIII. (ii)>(ia). 

Vyxn nnp; 'the song of the land', i. e. 'the 
pride of the land', 'that for which the land is 
celebrated (in song)'; 'its finest productions'. 

Three of the offerings sent by Jacob to the 
governor of Egypt, viz. na fii«? and db have 
been already identified (see the note on xxxvii. 
25), as 'opobalsamum', 'storax', and 'ladanum', 
the fragrant productions of Gilead, in which the 
Ishmaelites traded with Egypt. The other three 
are articles of food, viz. W21 (Arabice ^j 'dibs', 
a sweetmeat prepared from grapes by boiling 
them down, of which a great quantity is yearly 
imported from Syria into Egypt, and which is 
eaten with bread as a relish by the lower class of 
people ; not ' honey' as it has been translated) ; 
D^pi 'pistachio nuts', and DHjJttf 'almonds'. 

(12) rnttiz? &ip5 'money of repetition'; i. e. 
' another sum of the same amount as the C]M 
Ittnfcn ('the money that was returned') along 
with it. In ver. 15, ^rroafp has the same mean- 
ing. Compare TTTifrn npttJp ' duplum, (i. e. exem- 
plar) legis' 'a copy of the law', 'an additional 
copy of it like the original' ; Deut. xvii. 18. 

' Perhaps it was an oversight ;' a more ordi- 
nary form is riMW Compare Num. xv. 28, and 
Eccles. x. 5. 



CHAPTER XLIII. (i 4 )-(i6). 239 

(14) rbyj) 'dismiss', 'send away free'; rbw 
'misit' becomes in the Pihel ' dimisit' ; this con- 
jugation having an intensive signification in many 
cases where the Kal is transitive. Observe that 
the Vaw r conversive before Vibi? makes it follow 
the tense of )FP in the first clause of the verse. 

••rtett? wbhw "ittf»3 The form of this phrase 

• : t T • T v -; - A 

expresses 'acquiescence in existing circumstances, 
and the absence of any intention to attempt to 
alter them'. 'Whenever I am to be bereaved (of 
my children) let me be bereaved'; i. e. 'I will not 
try to escape bereavement, if it must come'; 
1 whenever I am to lose my children, let me lose 
them; so take Benjamin if you will\ Compare 
s£ -|f« tf) N'T (Gen. xxxiii. 9) ; 2 Kings vii. 4, 'if 
we [are to] live, w 7 e shall live ; and if w r e [are 
to] die, w r e shall die' ; i. e. ' we are unconcerned 
as to whether we live or die'; Esth. iv. 16, ")tfi*5 
U?74*J VTOK 'Whenever I am to perish, I shall 
perish', (or 'let me perish'); and 6 o yiypacpa 
yey pa<pa (John xix. 22), which means ' I do not 
wash to alter what I have written ;' ' Let what I 
have written remain w r ritten.' 

(16) prn niLD nip 'mactare mactationem, et 
parare'. These infinitives are put for impera- 
tives ; as frequently happens in Greek. 



240 CHAPTER XLIII. (i6)-(2 3 ). 

Dprrc means ' mid- day', because it divides the 
day into two equal parts ; it has the dual form, 
as though the light of mid-day were the joint 
effect of the ante-meridian and post-meridian 
lights. 

(18) wb% ^rn 1 ? literally Ho roll themselves 
upon us', i.e. 'to make an attack upon us', or, 
'to calumniate us'; compare Job xxx. 14, 'In 
the desolation they assailed me' (feferin) ; or ' to 
find occasion against us', if the meaning of the 
verb in this place be connected with that of ^3 
in the phrase bbte 'on account of, 'for the 
cause of; a rendering supported by the ver- 
sion of the LXX., viz. rod crvKOCpavrfjo-ctL ^a?, 

and by Jerom's, viz. ' ut devolvat in nos calum- 
niam'. 

(19) Before mn nris supply 1 as in Gen. 
xviii. 1, where see the note. 

(20) *yi& "Q This phrase occurs again in 
Exod. iv. 10, 13, as an expression of deference 
and submission ; it seems to mean ' tuum in me 
dominium recipio et agnosco', (compare the use 
of cXjjJ in Arabic) ; or perhaps yDttf « listen' 
may be supplied before it, and "a be translated 
' to me'. 

(23) fibab Literally ' hidden treasure'. 



CHAPTER XLIII. (27H34). 241 

(27) d^in uibwn for uymb ubwn See the 

\ / v • -: t -: v • -:- t -; 

next verse. 

(34) yoa riND rvitf&D Nf *1 Joseph caused 
dishes or plate-fulls from his own table to be set 
before his brethren as a mark of his especial 
favour. The literal translation is 'one carried 
portions from before him, &c/ ; i. e. Ntpin xw) 
(like i£ sc. TIOT in Gen. xlviii. 2, * one told 
Jacob,' 'it was told to Jacob',) a species of im- 
personal, implying ' portions were carried'. Com- 
pare iOp sc. tf'i'ipn in this book, and ' they may 
receive you', for 'you may be received', in the 
New Testament. 

'Benjamin's portion (or 'dish') exceeded their 
dishes by five parts (m'T StfDn)', i. e. it was six 
times as large as each of theirs. So each guest 
is represented by Homer as receiving an exactly 
equal portion with the rest, except when one 
was to be treated with extraordinary distinction, 
and then a larger portion was assigned to him. 
Compare the use of rriT 'portions' in Gen. xlvii. 
24, where it appears, that if any sum, or whole, 
be divided into fractions, these are called m'T 
The feminine plural of T is always used meta- 
phorically (see Buxtorf), and sometimes means 
' hinges'. It seems to convey the meaning 'parts', 

L 



242 CHAPTER XLIII. (34) — XLIY. (4). 

or 'fractions', because when anything is divided 
among a number of persons, each of them usually 
receives his portion in his hand. 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

(3) tin npin ' The morning shone and the 
men were sent away'; for 'when the morning 
dawned the men were sent away'. The verb Titf 
occurs also in 1 Sam. xiv. 29, W% *hk ^ ' that 
my eyes shine*. 

(4) l ipVl>? vb Tyrrna ^ Drr ' They were 
gone out from the city, [and] were not far, when 
Joseph said, &c/ Compare the use of \ in the 
same sense in verse (3), and in the next clause 
of the present verse, viz. ' and thou shalt over- 
take them and say to them', for ' and when thou 
hast overtaken them thou shalt say to them'. 
The verb sins* (' they were gone out') is followed 
by na (without ]D), as in Exod. ix. 29, \n>*!0 
T^rma 'when I am gone out from the city'. 
The Hiphil p*rnn is used here in a reflective 
sense, viz. ' amovit se\ ' elongavit se', as in Gen. 
xxi. 16, prnn tfb ntw-] 'sedit amovendo se', which 
is equivalent to 'she sat down at a distance 



CHAPTER XLIV. (4), (5). 243 

[from him]'. The omission of l before ipmn & 
shews that this verb is to be construed as if it 
were a gerund or participle with the preceding 
verb sfcKp (see the note on xLviii. 14), and that 
the clause may be translated, ' They were gone 
out not far from the city'. 

'Thou shalt overtake them and shalt say to 
them', is equivalent to 'when thou shalt have 
overtaken them, thou shalt say to them 5 . Com- 
pare Gen. ix. 13, 'I shall set my bow in the cloud, 
and it shall be &c.,' for 'when I shall set my bow 
in the cloud it shall be &c\ Observe that the 
Vaw conversive before DfiJttfn and mDN makes 

t : ~ • t : - t 

these verbs equivalent to futures, and therefore 
in unison with the preceding imperatives. 

(5) )2 ttfro* ttra Mfn 'with respect to which 
he will certainly be able to infer (or 'guess') 
[who has taken it]'. In the other passages where 
the verb wril occurs, e. g. Gen. xxx. 27, (where see 
the note), and 1 Kings xx. 33, it means ' to form 
a reasonable inference from observation', or 'to 
conjecture', and this is probably its signification 
in the present verse, and in verse (15) of this 
chapter ; though many commentators suppose it 
to mean ' auguratus est 7 , (compare Numb.xxiii.23, 
where ttJrrc means ' enchantment' or 'divination'). 

L2 



244 CHAPTER XLIV. (5X15). 

If the latter interpretation be adopted, the clause 
must be translated 'about which he will cer- 
tainly divine' (i. e. 'consult the diviners', or 
! divine himself, how or where he may recover 
it) ; or ' whereby (by means of which) he cer- 
tainly divines', as though Joseph were wont to 
practise a species of divination by means of this 
cup, a KvaOojuavreia, and on that account felt the 
loss of it. 

The last rendering, though adopted in the 
authorized version, is far from probable, and 
certainly at variance with the parallel passage in 
ver. (15) below, ' Did ye not suppose that one like 
me could make a certain conjecture (or 'infer- 
ence')? where it is impossible that there should 
be any allusion to divination by means of the cup, 
which was not in Joseph's hands when he sent 
his steward after his brethren. 

(7) py?n 'profanum sit, (i. e. 'absit') servis 
tuis.' To this expression of deprecation the Chal- 
dee Dn corresponds. See Gen. xviii. 25. 

(9) nDl The Vaw is that of transition. 

(15) 'Did you not suppose that one like me 
(i. e. ' in my station', or ' with my reputation for 
sagacity') could infer with certainty', 'could 
form a shrewd and probable conjecture [as to 



CHAPTER XLIV. (i5)-( l8 )- 245 

who had taken the cup]' ? See the note on 
WllT ttirn in ver. (5) of this chapter, and on *>F\wm 
in Gen. xxx. 27, * I have inferred [from all that I 
have observed] that God has blessed me for thy 
sake'. 

(16) proa-flD 'what shall we allege in our 
behalf? 'in our justification' ? The to is substi- 
tuted on account of euphony for the ji i n P3-TW 
which would be the regular Hithpahel of p"re 
the D and ^ being transposed for the same rea- 
son, just as the w and n are transposed in 
"iBJWn the Hithpahel of nw Similarly, in verbs 
beginning with J (e. g. jdt) the Hithpahel (e. g. 
\®Ttn) is formed by the insertion of t (instead 
of n) between the two first letters, because the 
conjunction oft and n is inharmonious. 

D| — D3 'ourselves as well as he'. 

(18) njnaa sp'pj The repetition of D in 
such phrases as this and ]rp3 DV2 expresses a 
reciprocity of resemblance. ' Thou art like Pha- 
raoh, and he is like thee' ; ' The people shall be 
like the priest, and the priest like the people 1 . 

Compare ytiha p**T&? rrrn Gen. xviii. 25, ' that 
the righteous and the wicked should be [treated 
as] exactly alike'. 

In the clause ( for thou art exactly like Pha- 



246 CHAPTER XLIV. (18) — XLV. (i). 

raoh', it is implied, 'and therefore I dread to 
offend thee'. 

(21) r^yjjnpwft 'I will set my eye 
upon him'; i. e. 'I will look after him and take 
care of him and provide for him'. This phrase is 
used in the same sense in Jer. xxxix. 12. Com- 
pare Jer. xxiv. 6, ' I will set my eye upon them 
for good". 

(28) riarrT? 'till now'; literally, ' till here', 
'thus far'; nin is an adverb both of place and 
time. See the note on Gen. xv. 16. 

(30) *tt2S 'when I am come'. Compare 
*>riW2 ' when I am gone out', (Exod. ix. 29), 1^D3 
'when he drew back', (Gen. xxxviii. 29), and 
ITnkp 'when it sprouted', (Gen. xl. 10) ; where p 
followed by a participle is a preposition of time. 

(32) njEnviN 2"1JJ 'Thy servant took the 
bov on trust from his father'; 'received him on 
pledge' or ' conditionally'. 



CHAPTER XLV. 

(1) 'Joseph could not refrain himself for all 
that stood before him'; i. e. 'Though so many 
persons were around him, he could not wait for 



CHAPTER XLV. (i)-(8). 247 

them to disperse, but was fain to send them 

awav'. 

«/ 

r6y D^ia? 'standing by him', or 'in his pre- 
sence'. Compare Gen. xviii. 2, where the same 
phrase occurs. 

;rnnni In verbs beginning with Yod, the 
first letter is commuted with Vaw in the Hith- 
pahel. 

(4) WZ See the note on m at Gen. xix. 9, 
where it means 'retire', withdraw' (instead of 
'approach'), when coupled with nvbn 

(5) ir\)-b$ ' Let it not be wrath (to my 
lord)'. This verb is used as a sort of impersonal, 
like *)2 and ")x> ('in angustiis erat'). Compare 
Gen. iv. 5. 

(7) rnNM DD^ uwb 'To make for you a 
remnant'; i. e. 'to give you continuance in the 
land', the opposite of ' to cut you off from the 
land'. See Psal. xxxvii. 22 ; and Gen. xvii. 14. 

(8) To make thee ' a father to Pharaoh', 
i. e. 'his counsellor and adviser'. Compare Gen. 
iv. 20, *frk SlfcrMlK 'the father, i.e. 'the in- 
structor of those who dwell in tents', ' he 
who first set them an example of dwelling in 
tents'. Maurer quotes 1 Maccabees xi. 32, in 
which Demetrius the king thus addresses one 



248 CHAPTER XLV. (8)-(i8). 

LastheneS I BacriXeJ? &y]fjL?]Tpios AauOevfi tw TTCLTpl 
yalpeiv. 

(11) tthtfi is from feHj In the Niphal, as well 
as the Hithpahel of verbs whose first letter is i 
the i is substituted for it. The verb ttn^ whose 

~T 

original meaning is 'to inherit', sometimes as- 
sumes the opposite meaning, 'to be reduced to 
penury', 'to be disinherited' (comp. ttltfn from ;rn). 
Several other verbs bear opposite significations 
according to the connexion in which they occur. 
See the note on Gen. xix. 9. 

(12) *£n3 ' that it is my own mouth that is 
talking with you' ; i.e. ' that it is I myself and no 
other who am speaking to you'. 

(17) The word ^3, here used for 'a beast of 
burden', is applied in Arabic to both mules and 
camels, these being the only animals used by them 
for bearing burdens. The same was probably the 
case in the most ancient times in those countries. 

(18) 2Srnrw fatfl This imperative is equiva- 
lent to the future -fati/Vi, ' and so ye shall eat the 
fat of the land'. See the note on Gen. xx. 7, and 
xlii. 18, where similar instances of the use of the 
imperative occur, e. g. ' Do this and live', for ' By 
doing this ye shall live'. 

f™n n^n is exactly equivalent to fifcn it^D 



CHAPTER XLV, (i8)-(26). 249 

in chap, xlvii. 6 ; it means ' opimum fructum 
terrse'. The same metaphor occurs in Deut. 
xxxii. 14, and Psal. lxxxi. 17. Compare the use 
of^j 'lac' in Arabic, to express whatever is most 
excellent. 

(19) Jitoy na? nr\m nnm < and thou art com- 
manded [to tell them], Do this ' ; i. e. ' thou hast 
my command to say to them, Do this'; the fol- 
lowing clause being in the imperative plural as 
addressed to the brethren of Joseph. 

(20) 'Let not your eye be tender towards 
your furniture' (' supellectilia') ; i. e. 'Be not 
concerned about leaving them behind '. 

(21) njns i^'by 'At (agreeably to) the 
command of Pharaoh'. This phrase is quoted in 
support of a translation adopted by some com- 
mentators of the words *D); bb pW) ?ps by_ viz. ' at 
thy command shall all my people run,' or, ' dis- 
pose their affairs'. See the note on that verse. 

(22) r\febr\ 'changes;' i.e. 'at least two suits.' 
5)P5 is an ellipsis for ' shekels of silver.' See 

the note on Gen. xx. 16. 

(26) ^} 'His heart fainted (or 'sank') within 
him'; 'deliquium passus est'; the converse of 
which is IpJP nri Tirn ('his spirit revived') in the 
next verse. Compare the use of :ri3 in Ps. xxxviii. 

L5 



250 CHAPTER XLV. (26) — XLVI. (4). 

9, and Lxxvii. 3. Some translate it, ' was cold,' 
i. e. ' was not warmed, or excited, by the news he 
had received'; in accordance with the sense of 
this word in Arabic. 

(27) 'And he saw the waggons, and Jacob's 
spirit revived'; i.e. 'when he saw the waggons 
his heart revived'. For other instances of this 
use of Vaw see the note on Gen. xiiv. 4. 

(28) ii ' enough !' See the note on Gen. 
xxxiii. 9, 11 f?"^* 'I have enough'. 



CHAPTER XLVI. 

(4) rft>$rD| tfy%8 6 1 will surely bring thee 
up,' i. e. ' thy posterity' (from Egypt), the proge- 
nitor being identified with his descendants, as in 
other passages of this book. See the note on 
Gen. xv. 16; and compare Gen. xLviii. 15, 20, 
and 22, where Joseph is identified with his two 
sons, and Jacob identifies himself with his sons 
Simeon and Levi. 

' Joseph shall put his hand on thy eyes', i. e. 
' shall close thy eyes in death'. Compare Odyss. 
xxiv. 296, and Eur. Hec. 430, 

6avovo~ri<$ bfAfxa a-vyKXeiaret to gov* 



CHAPTER XLVI. (29H34). 251 

(29) bkft &V) 'when he had looked at him, 
he fell on his neck'. See the notes on Gen. XLiv. 
4, and xlv. 27. 

Tiy^fJQ 'he wept repeatedly', 'again and 
again'. 

(34) rrapD *ttttN ' men of property [in flocks 
and herds],' since this phrase is equivalent to 
J*& , > ( jn in the preceding clause, rupp is generally 
restricted to this sense ; though Pi3p means ' to 
possess' generally. Compare the relation between 
'pecus', and 'peculium', between 'tcrtjua, and 
6 kt%vo$\ and between 'oV, 'ovis', and 'opis'. 
Joseph informed the king that his relatives were 
shepherds in order that he might be the more 
willing to let them settle in Goshen apart from 
the Egyptians. 

(30) Dysn c now at last,' or ' at length'. See 
the notes on Gen. ii. 23, and xxix. 35. 

(34) The Egyptians detested shepherds, pro- 
bably because they had formerly been subdued 
by a host of Arabian shepherds ; Aben Ezra says, 
'because at that time the Egyptians abstained 
from the flesh of animals and detested all who 
did not'. 



252 CHAPTER XLVII. (2)-( 12 )- 

CHAPTER XLVII. 

(2) ' He selected from among his brethren', 
Hipp literally 'ab extremitate fratrum', i. e. 'out 
of the number of his brethren/ This word, as in 
ver. (21) of this chapter, is the same as nsp ]D the 
dagesh (which would regularly be substituted for 
the |) being omitted in the p as it may be on ac- 
count of the Sheva under it. Compare Dirspp 
(Ezek. xxxiii. 2), and see Buxtorf on this passage. 
In Gen. xix. 4, where kametz takes the place of 
Sheva at the pause, the dagesh is inserted in the 
p of the same word PKp.p 

(6) \n?rr n^D (' opimum fructum terrse ') 
is equivalent to yiNn nbn in xlv. 18. 

^rr*tt?3N 'men of energy and merit'. Com- 
pare ^TrWS in Prov. xxxi. 10. 

(9) Observe that each of the words mw and W 

x ' tt •• : 

occurs four times in this verse. Comp. Gen.xxiii. 1. 

(11) Dpp>n was the capital city of the land of 
Goshen, afterwards rebuilt by the Israelites when 
they were reduced to slavery. 

(12) *]tsn «£> nrb 'bread for their children to 
eat', or 'bread in proportion to [the number of] 
their children', i. e. ' bread enough for their chil- 
dren'; isb meaning either simply 'for the mouth 



CHAPTER XLVII. (i2)-(i7). 253 

of/ i. e. ' for them to eat ', or ' pro ratione', cor- 
responding to', * in proportion to the number of', 
if it be equivalent to *22 in Lev. xxv. 52, and 
Num. vi. 21 ; and *)tp being a collective word 
meaning children', (see Ezek. ix. 6), and with 
the article prefixed, equivalent to DJ12D 'their 
children'. Compare tipsvb bh$h\ in ver. (24) of 
this chapter, which is probably equivalent to 
D?ssp »sfr onS 

When *pb is followed by inn it means ' with 
the edge of [the sword]'. 

(13) rrbri is the apocopated future of nnb 
Compare PTpn from nro in Job xvii. 7. It means 
' languished '. 

(14) ""Q^l 'for the corn'; i.e. 'in exchange 
for it', (compare D^D2 and nDjppl in ver. 17), 
or ' by the trade in corn' which they carried on ; 
if nittf mean ' trade in corn ' ; see the note on 
Gen. XLii. 1. 

(15) D2K 'has failed'; a verb of the same 
form as ysn 

(17) tbrjT) ' He sustained them' ; ' supplied 
them with everything necessary to their subsist- 
ence' ; a verb primarily signifying ' to lead to 
water', as in Ps. xxiii. 2, and thence 'to provide 
for 4 , 'to tend'. 



254 CHAPTER XLVII. (i8)-(26). 

(18) ' And when the second year was finished 
they came to him, &c.' Compare the use of ) in 
chap. XLvi. 29. 

(21) When Joseph had bought all the land of 
the Egyptians, ' he caused them to remove from 
one end of the country to the other' ; i. e. ' he 
transferred them from their native towns to those 
at the greatest distance from them', in order that 
they might thenceforth be aware that they were 
no longer living on their own lands, but that they 
had actually become mere tenants at will of the 
king of the country. 

(22) Accordingly, we find that many ages 
after (in the time of Herodotus) the lands of the 
priests were exempt from taxation. 

(24) nrrTl VT)& ' four parts' or ' fractions' 
of the whole. See the note on JliT in Gen. xiiii. 

T 

34 ; where it is stated that this feminine plural 
of T is always used metaphorically. 

ivrv Observe that the rules of concord of 
gender and number are not observed with respect 
to the tenses of the verb nTT See the note on 

T T 

Gen. i. 14. 

(25) vpnn 'Thou hast made us live'; i. e. 
'Thou hast preserved our lives'. 

(26) wtinb is in apposition with phb 'He 



CHAPTER XLVII. (26)-( 3 i). 255 

made it become an ordinance, viz. the fifth', i. e. 
■ that a fifth part should be paid to Pharaoh out 
of all produce'. This form of expression is very 
elliptical. 

(29) 'Put thy hand under my thigh.' See 
the note on Gen. xxiv. 2, where it is suggested 
that this form of asseveration probably consisted 
in touching the circumcised part (for which act 
the above phrase would be a euphemism), in token 
of the ratification of a promise or covenant. The 
rite of circumcision being the sign of the cove- 
nant between God and his people, (since He says, 
(Gen. xvii. 13), 'my covenant shall be in your 
flesh'), an oath taken by touching the circumcised 
part would be one of the greatest solemnity and 
obligation. 

(31) 'Jacob worshipped on the head of the 
bed', i. e. leaning on his pillow towards the bed's 
head. The LXX, translating from a copy without 
points, adopt the reading nED instead of n©0 

Their version eirl to ctKpov Tijs paft^ov avrov is 

quoted by St Paul in Heb. xi. 21, 'He worship- 
ped, [leaning] on the top of his staff'. The word 
TOE 'a bed' occurs also in the second verse of 
the next chapter. Compare 2 Kings xx. 2, ' He- 
zekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed'. 



25 (J CHAPTER XLYII. (31) — XLVIII. (4). 

Hezekiah was then on a bed of sickness, and in 
turning to the wall he would turn to the head of 
the bed, and lean on his pillow in prayer, as Jacob 
did on this occasion. 



CHAPTER XLVIII. 

(1) -tt?K*} sc. "iBiKn 'one said'; a species of 
impersonal, equivalent to 'it was said', 'they 
said'. Compare Trin sc. TJISH 'one told' in the 
next verse ; and see the notes on Gen. xi. 9, (snp 
sc. N"T)j3n), and Gen. xxxviii. 3. 

(2) With the phrase bity?) pJTTJT ' Jacob 
strengthened himself, i.e. 'roused to a strong 
effort his remaining energy' (before his final in- 
terview with his sons), compare an expression 
in the beginning of the 49th Makamah of Hariri, 
where the aged Abou-Zaid gives a parting charge 
to his son <u&J *\jJU\ U && ' after summoning 
his intellect to vigorous exertion;' i.e. 'rousing 
and collecting all his remaining power of mind.' 

(4) bnpb T^™ ' I will make thee become a 
company of people,' i. e. 'I will make thy pos- 
terity become a multitude of people ', the pro- 
genitor being identified with his descendants, 



CHAPTER XLVIII. (4J-( 6 )- 257 

(see the note on Gen. xlvi. 4). The verb ]J1J fol- 
lowed by b frequently means, 'to cause to be- 
come'. Compare vrijb T^™ (Gen. xvii. 6), * I will 
make thee (i.e. thy posterity) become nations', 
i. e. ' very numerous'. 

ubty rvrntt ' a possession for an indefinite pe- 
riod', tfoiy like alwv and sevum, does not usually 
mean 'eternity', or 'endless duration', but 'an 
indefinitely long period of time'. In this case, 
D^V funK means ' a possession in perpetuity, i. e. 
' one the term of which was unlimited', but which 
might at any time come to an end, as it has long 
ago to the posterity of Jacob. See the note on 
Gen. xvii. 8, where the same phrase is used in 
the promise made to Abram, that his seed should 
possess the land of Canaan. 

(5) ^rtjj 'until my coming', 'up to the 
time of my coming' ; i. e. ' previously to it 5 . Jacob 
thus adopts the two sons of Joseph (born before 
his arrival in Egypt) placing them in Joseph's 
stead on an equality of inheritance with his own 
eleven sons, and so entitling Joseph's descendants 
to a double portion among the tribes. 

(6) 'All Joseph's younger children born or 
to be born (ril^'n law) after Jacob's arrival in 
Egypt, were to be reckoned', as he here tells him, 



258 CHAPTER XLVIII. (6)-( 12 )- 

6 along with the two eldest, and to inherit a share 
in the promised land under their 7iame\ The 
names of Ephraim and Manasseh became thence- 
forth names of tribes, in which the younger chil- 
dren of Joseph were included. 

(7) ^m 'and as for me'. 

•6y nra 'Rachel died by me' or 'with me'. 
Compare fby U*lp ' standing by him', ' near him', 
in Gen. xviii. 2, and *6y nfty 1f>2Ti ' the young- 
cattle are with me'. Or perhaps ^ means 'in 
my charge', ' on my hands 1 . 

Y^rrujD ' a short distance' ; see the note on 
Gen. xxxv. 16, where the same rare word occurs 
in the narrative of the death of Rachel, which is 
here quoted by Jacob. 

(9) H : a for Dl'pS>n rna ' in this place'. The 
same ellipsis occurs in HID (Gen. xxxvii. 17). 

DDiSNi ' that I may bless them', ) being equi- 
valent to the Arabic <_3 

(11) ■tf^s & 'I did not judge', or 'reckon'. 
Others render it, ' I did not hope', from the sense 
of bbp in the Hiphil, viz. ' oravit', ' precatus est', 
because 'prayer' implies 'hopeful desire'. 

(12) y>3-e uyn 'away from his knees', i.e. 
' from Jacob's knees' ; for the sons of Joseph had 
been close to Jacob who had just embraced them ; 



CHAPTER XLVIII. (12H15). 259 

and now that Joseph wished to bring them to his 
father in their proper places respectively as the 
elder and the younger, in order formally to re- 
ceive his blessing, he first drew them back from 
him, and then having placed them as he wished, 
brought them close to him again )*b$ ttOT 

mftW'!') 'He (Joseph) bowed'. The Samaritan 
Version and the LXX. read WtftttP 'they bowed', 
i. e. 'Joseph and his sons'. 

(14) VT-riN hjffl This has generally been 
rendered 'intelligere fecit manus suas', i. e. 'con- 
sulto et de industria manus suas direxit', and the 
omission of the Vaw before it shews that it must 
be construed participially thus, 'directing his 
hands intentionally', (though bsp is the preterite 
Pihel) ; but most probably the correct translation 
is that of the LXX. ei>a\\a%as rets xeTjoas - inter- 
changing his hands' ('commutans manus,' as the 
Vulgate has it) ; i. e. ' putting the right in the 
place of the left' ; since such is the meaning of the 
word bib in Arabic, viz. ' commutavit '. 

(15) 'He blessed Joseph', i.e. 'the sons of 
Joseph', the father being identified with his off- 
spring ; see the note on Gen. xLvi. 4. 

Visb ^bnr\n -ntfa See the note on Gen. v. 24, 

t t : : - ; • v -; 

and xvii. 1. 



260 CHAPTER XLVIII. (15), (16). 

'The God who took care of me', literally, 
'who tended me as a shepherd does', 'who 
was my shepherd'. Compare Psal. xxiii. 1, ' The 
Lord is my shepherd ' Cup), and Gen. xiix. 24, 
'From thence is the shepherd' (Hjn). 

•HfyD * ex quo die sum', ' ever since I have 
been alive '. Similarly, ■nfya means ' while I am 
yet alive'; 'as long as I live'. See Psal. civ. 32. 
Perhaps we may supply after *Tijo and •Hfyl an 
ellipsis of '•n since in 1 Sam. xx. 14, we find 
V ^W? an( * m Deut. xxxi. 27, Tl Wfy? in the 
same significations respectively as H^D and rpy3 

(16) 'The angel' here spoken of is probably 
the same as 'the angel' who wrestled with Jacob, 
and gave him his name Israel. See Gen. xxxii. 

'My name shall be called (conferred) upon 
them'; i. e. 'they shall be called after my 
name', i. e. 'they shall be called the sons of 
Abraham, Isaac, and myself, (like my own sons)'. 
See the note on Gen. xxi. 12, 'On Isaac shall 
[the name] thy seed be called (conferred)' ; i. e. 
'He and his descendants' shall be called 'the 
seed of Abraham', especially, and in a higher 
degree than his brethren; for such is the real 
meaning of the phrase 2 N^jjl though it is lite- 
rally translated by St Paul, quoting from the 



CHAPTER XLVIII. (i6)-( 2 2> 261 

Septuagint, in Heb. xi. 18, 'In Isaac shall thy 
seed be called/ an expression unintelligible with- 
out comment. 

^T 'they shall increase and multiply' (like 
fishes 2l). 

(19) Otfarnfe 'a multitude of nations'. The 
same word occurs in Isai. xxxi. 4, ' a multitude 
Nfe of shepherds'. 

(20) ' By thee (i. e. ' by thy name', i. e. ' by 
the name of thy sons') shall Israel bless ', i. e. 
' The Israelites in future times shall use thy name 
(the names of thy two sons) in benediction, and, 
when they invoke a blessing on any one, they 
shall say, The Lord make thee as Ephraim and 
Manasseh', i. e. ' as blessed as they are'. Compare 
Gen. xxii. 18 (where see the note), ' By (the name 
of) thy seed shall all nations invoke a blessing 
on themselves ', i. e, ' they shall make mention of 
thy posterity in benediction, praying, when they 
invoke blessing on themselves that they may be 
as blessed as thy seed'. The meaning in both 
passages is, ' thy posterity shall be proverbial!?/ 
blessed, so that the best prayer for any one shall 
be, that he may be as blessed as they'. 

(22) ttW ' a shoulder', and, metaphorically, 
'a portion'. The 'portion' wdiich Jacob here says 



262 CHAPTER XLVIII. (22). 

he assigned to Joseph over and above what he 
gave him as one of his brethren, fell to the lot 
of Ephraim, viz. the district of Shechem, which 
his sons Levi and Simeon took by force when 
they slew the Shechemites (see Gen. xxxiv.), and 
he probably intends to denote it by using the 
rare word D2t^ here to denote ' a portion'. Some 
translate this word 'a reward', as if from the 
Arabic U2W ' remuneratus est'. 

- T 

Observe that Jacob, in saying that he took 
that district with his sword and bow, identi- 
fies himself with his children, since that exploit 
was in fact performed by his two sons, and 
greatly to his disgust and displeasure, as appears 
from the curse laid upon them in the next chap- 
ter, in which he disclaims all part in that sangui- 
nary outrage. Concerning this figure of speech, 
see the notes on Gen. xv. 16, and verses (15) 
and (20) of this chapter. Similarly, all the bless- 
ings on the sons of Jacob, in the next chapter, 
relate, in fact, to their posterity. 



CHAPTER XLIX. (i)-(4). 2G3 



CHAPTER XLIX. 



(1) ^p^-nitfK nx 'what shall happen'; N^p 
is here used in the same sense as nip 

t't 

(3) n$b ITg ' [thou art] the excellence of 
dignity' (or ' exaltation') ; i. e. ' superiority in ex- 
cellence and power over thy brethren properly 
belongs to thee as the first-born'. 

(4) 'but because thou art unstable (or 'wan- 
ton', 'petulant') as water, thou shalt not excel' ; 
i. e. 'thou shalt not enjoy that pre-eminence 
[which is thy natural birthright.]' The deriva- 
tives of tna generally denote 'levity', 'fickleness', 
or 'instability', (see Judges ix. 4, and Jer. xxiii. 
32). Some commentators, however, translate 
the word tns 'protervus', ' ebulliens sicut aquae 
fervidse'; and Symmachus renders it 'uirep^eaas. 
It most probably signifies 'unstable and incon- 
stant from wantonness,' ' not to be depended 
upon', just as water is an unstable element. 

nby nw These two words seem to be an in- 
dignant soliloquy of Jacob, who having just re- 
proached his son for having profaned his father's 
bed, dwells on the painful reflection, and repeats 
the charge against him, 'Yes, he ascended my 
couch !' as much as to say, ' Nothing can atone 



264 CHAPTER XLIX. (4), (5). 

for his conduct ; I cannot give him my blessing'. 
The sudden change of person between this and 
the preceding clause resembles that in the ninth 
verse of this chapter, and in Hos. ii. 8, ' There- 
fore I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and 
will build her wall (to obstruct her path)', and in 
many other prophetic passages. Some commen- 
tators translate the above words, ' my couch dis- 
appeared', i. e. ' [the dignity of] my couch was 
destroyed by his profanation' ; but nSjj must ne- 
cessarily have the same signification here as in 
the preceding clause, viz. c ascendit'; and to speak 
of the 'dignity of a bed', would be simply absurd. 
Observe that yw is connected with rr?y by the 
accents, and disjoined from the preceding word 
ri^n with which we must therefore supply ^WD 
from the preceding clause, and construe 'Then 
thou pollutedst [my bed]'. In 1 Chron. v. 1, how- 
ever, where this verse seems to be quoted ver- 
batim, we find bbn coupled with yw for it is 
there said of Reuben, ' On account of his pro- 
faning his father's couch vq« yw f^TO the birth- 
right was taken from him and given to the sons 
of Joseph.' 

(5) dtt» ' they are brethren', i. e. ' brethren 
in cruelty'. 



CHAPTER XLIX. ( 5 ) ? (6). 265 

DiTJTDD DDn ^3 ' Instruments of violence 
are their swords', or ' their machinations'. The 
former version is the simplest, map being taken 
as identical with the Greek pa^cupa 'a sword', 
which like several other Greek words may have 
been introduced into the Hebrew language. But 
the latter, which accords with the version of the 
LXX., and with the meaning of the Arabic L* 
* machination', is most probably the -correct inter- 
pretation of the passage. The authorized version, 
6 instruments of cruelty are in their habitations', 
is quite untenable ; the ellipsis of 1 being un- 
warrantable, and this sense of PTOB unsupported 
by authority (see Buxtorf on ~D2p). Those who 
adopt it must regard DPPrhDD as synonymous or 
identical with Dnnup 

(6) ' Let not my soul come into their secret 
[' communion' or ' counsel'], nor let my glory be 
united with their assembly'. 

TiD means here ' friendly and private commu- 
nion with another', as in Ps. xxv. 14, ' The secret 
[communion] of the Lord (TiD) is with them that 
fear him'. 

Hi23 ' my glory' is equivalent to ' my soul', in 
the preceding clause which is exactly parallel and 
similar in signification to that which follows it. 

M 



266 CHAPTER XLIX. (6). 

Compare Ps. iv. 3, 'How long shall my soul 
(nils) become a reproach ?' Ps. xvi. 9, ' There- 
fore my heart was glad, and my soul ( V T)23) re- 
joiced' ; and Ps. vii. 6. Similarly in Ps. xxii. 21, 
\HTJT 'my darling 1 (unicus meus) is used as syno- 
nymous with ^iM ' my soul' in the parallel clause. 
?TO3 has by some been translated literally in 
these passages ' my honour 1 , and by others ' my 
tongue', a rendering suggested by Ps. xxx. 13, 
■ Therefore [my] glory (TQ^) shall celebrate thee, 
and not be silent'. But the present passage 
proves by the rule of Hebrew poetry that it 
is used as synonymous with ^35 ' my soul' in 
the preceding and parallel clause. Observe also 
that TQ3 (though a masculine word) is here con- 
strued with a verb feminine TtF) for which there 
can be no other reason but that it is here syno- 
nvmous with the feminine word E?S3 in the next 
clause. The soul was called T)13 as being the part 
of man in which alone he resembles his Maker. 

WW WiTl 'They slew men'; WW is here used 
collectively, and means, * the men of the town of 
Shechem'. Compare the collective use of Tittf 
' bulls' in the next verse, and in xxxii. 6, of *p 
'infants', in xLvii. 12, and D"TN 'mankind', in vi. 1. 
Rashi compares D^2 no"} mni D*iD 'the horses 



CHAPTER XLIX. (6). 267 

and their riders he threw into the sea', (Exod. xv. 
2), and irm &»$ IJTCriw TOn < Thou shalt smite 
Midian as one man'; Judg. vi. ±6. 

Djisra ' In their wantonness', i. e. their indul- 
gence of wilful and ungovernable wrath. 

■W V)$y 'They mutilated cattle'; literally, 
'they hocked (houghed) bulls', Tittf being used 
collectively like wx in the preceding verse ; and 
the verb igy having here the same signification 
as in Arabic, viz. 'succidit suffragines poplitum'; 
\ to cut the sinews behind the joints of an ani- 
mal's legs [in order to disable it.]' This phrase 
is correctly rendered by the LXX. & Ty kizSviua. 
avTwv evevpoKoirricrav Tavpov, and expresses that 
the two sons of Jacob had not confined their 
cruelty to human beings, in killing the men, and 
enslaving the women and children, but had wan- 
tonly mutilated the cattle of their helpless foes, 
hocking their oxen. Some commentators inter- 
pret it metaphorically, as meaning that 'they 
mutilated and cruelly entreated even the most 
powerful men of the town of Shechem', since in 
Psalm xxii. 13, and Lxviii. 30, and Deut. xxxiii. 
i7, 'powerful men' are called ns and Tiitf But 
this explanation, though plausible, is less simple 
and obvious than the former. The authorized 

M2 



268 CHAPTER XLIX. (6), (7). 

version, 'they digged down a wall', is undoubt- 
edly erroneous, though it has the support of 
Aben Ezra ; (1) because Tittf (with kholem) always 
means 'bulls' (see Gen. xxxii. 6, and Exod. xx. 
17, &c); and *)W (with shurek) means 'a wall' 
(see ver. 22 of this chapter) ; (2) because the 
meaning of ijpy in Scripture is always (as stated 
above) ' succidit suffragines poplitum', (see Josh, 
xi. 9, &c.) ; and (3) because it does not appear in 
fact that Jacob's sons had any occasion 'to dig 
through walls', in order to make their way into 
the town of Shechem, which, on the contrary, 
they entered unopposed, finding the inhabitants 
in a perfectly defenceless condition. 

(7) 'I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter 
them in Israel'. This was literally fulfilled in the 
case of both tribes. The Simeonites had their 
settlements, partly in villages scattered through 
the district of Judah, and partly on debateable 
ground, between that district and the territory 
of the Philistines. With respect to the Levites, 
the curse was turned into a blessing; for they 
had some of the best cities assigned to them 
in the territories of the other tribes, and ranked 
highest among them. 

rniy 'fury'; as passing all bounds of dis- 
cretion. 



CHAPTER XLIX. (8)-(io). 269 

(8) Observe the alliterations between ?pTP 
ifTOT and ?fT like those with respect to the 
names Dan and Gad, in verses (16) and (19) of 
this chapter. 

' Thy hand shall be on the neck of thy ene- 
mies', i. e. ' Thou shalt have them in complete 
subjection to thee'. Compare the passage where 
Joshua directs his men to put their feet on the 
necks of some captive princes, in token of their 
subjection and humiliation. 

(9) )H3 T\bp The preterite is here used as 
an aorist or frequentative tense, and may be 
translated as a present tense. This sudden 
change of person occurs several times in this 
blessing, as well as in that of Moses in Deut. 
xxxiii., and elsewhere in Hebrew prophecy. It 
certainly renders the poetry more graphic and 
energetic. Compare the last clause of ver. (4) of 
this chapter. 

'He couched, he lay crouching; who will 
[dare to] stir him up'? The same phrase occurs 
in the very similar passage of Balaam's prophecy 
concerning all the tribes of Israel, in Numb. xxiv. 
9. Compare Numb, xxiii. 24. 

(10) viw -w-afc ■ The rod (sceptre of office) 
shall not depart out of Judah'. Dltt? ' a sceptre', 



270 CHAPTER XLIX. (10). 

is put here metonymically for 'magistrate' or 
* ruler'. Compare Numb. xxiv. 17, 'There shall 
arise a sceptre (i. e. ' a ruler') out of Israel'. The 
meaning of the clause is that there should always 
be some one in the tribe of Judah occupying a 
princely station, and acting the part of a leader 
or ruler among the other tribes. 

T»*?jn J*|b ppbpl ' Nor [shall there ever cease 
to be] a lawgiver (or 'leader') among his off- 
spring'. The verb *W $6 must be repeated with 
this clause from the preceding. Compare rmrp 
*pphp Psal. lx. 9, ' Judah is my lawgiver', or 
rather ' the leader of my people' ; since we find 
that the tribe of Judah led the van in the march 
through the wilderness ; and D^pphp in Judg. v. 
14, must mean 'leaders of soldiers in battle', 
'men capable of military command', not 'law- 
givers'. It is the participle Pohal of ppn 

Some commentators take ybyi pip to be equi- 
valent to Jflgp 'a portion of the body being put 
for the whole', as in Hos. ii. 4, ' Let her put away 
.her adulteries from between her breasts', i. e. 
' from her'. But it is most probably a euphemistic 
expression meaning, (as Onkelos renders it), 'from 
among his posterity'; 'a lawgiver (or 'leader') 
shall not cease to be bom to him among his pos- 



CHAPTER XLIX. (10). 271 

terity\ Compare rrbfT) PBD tfgtn ftJTfyjJ (Deut. 
xxviii. 57), ' Her offspring that cometh out from 
between her feet, i. e. ' from her womb\ Such is 

the version of the LXX. Kal qyovfxevos e/e twv [irjpwi/ 

avTod, and Jerom's, 'et dux de femore ejus'. 
Tibw Kll^ "TV The Yod in Shiloh does not 

T ^ 

seem to have occurred in the more ancient copies, 
(e. g. those from which the LXX. and Onkelos 
translated), and was probably inserted by the 
Jews of Tiberias before the vowel-points were 
generally in use, in order to indicate the pronun- 
ciation which they attached to the word, viz. the 
same as that of the town Shiloh, where the sanc- 
tuary was established, and to shew that they 
rejected the pronunciation or vocalization as- 
sumed by Onkelos and the LXX., viz. Tibf for 
ib ~)W$ (Observe that the name of the town 
Shiloh may be written with or without the Yod, 
since among the variations in its orthography we 
find it called rftstf in Josh. xvi. 6 and xviii. 1, and 
Judg. xviii. 31, )b»W in Judg. xxi. 21 and Jer. vii. 
12, and )bw in Judg. xxi. 19, 1 Sam. iii. 21 and 
Jer. vii. 14, whereas the other translations of 
the word are materially affected by the omission 
or insertion of the Yod). The reading in the 
text therefore being adopted, the passage may 



272 CHAPTER XLIX. (10). 

be translated, * There shall never cease to be 
a leader and lawgiver among the posterity of 
Judah, until he (the tribe of Judah) arrives at 
Shiloh, and to him (i. e. to this leader, or to 
Judah) shall be the submission of the people'; 
the words, c until he arrives at Shiloh', meaning 
'until he reaches the promised land', since we 
find in Josh, xviii. 1, that after the subjugation 
of Palestine 'the whole congregation of Israel 
assembled to Shiloh', Tibw bxnv^l mybs *bhf£\ 
(where, as in the present passage, no preposition 
is prefixed to ' Shiloh'). Accordingly we find that 
the tribe of Judah held a leading position in the 
march through the wilderness, and in 1 Chron. v. 
2, we read EDD Txfa vnai "OH m-tfT ' Judah was 

•t: t v : - t t 

great among his brethren, and there was a 
prince from him' (i. e. from among his tribe). 

In this prophecy thus understood to signify 
that Judah as a tribe should hold a conspicuous 
place, and furnish leaders and lawgivers to the 
other tribes up to the time of their arrival in the 
promised land, it is probably implied that much 
more should it be so afterwards. But in order 
to remove the limitation (which on the other 
hand might seem to be intended) of the leader- 
ship of the tribe of Judah to the time preceding 



CHAPTER XLIX. (10). 273 

its arrival at Shiloh, some commentators suppose 
*2 1}) to mean here ' as long as', a sense which 
certainly belongs to 7% in 2 Kings ix. 22, and 
1 Chron. iv. 31, but which is inadmissible in the 
other passages where *3"T$? occurs, e. g. Gen. xxvi. 
13, and 2 Sam. xxiii. 10, and is contrary to the 
analogy of those in which D^-Tj; ttT*0£ and nttfa T£ 
are found, and in all of which these compound 
adverbs invariably mean 'until'. The resulting 
translation of the prophecy is however one of 
the most plausible; viz. 'The sceptre shall not 
depart from Judah as long as [people] shall 
come to Shiloh' [to worship there] ; i. e. ' as long 
as Shiloh shall continue to be the sanctuary of 
the tribes of Israel', (iflij being taken as an im- 
personal, like W m Gen. xLviii. 2, ' one told', 
for ' they told', ' it was told', and *np* and 7DW 
in other passages). Whether this version is in 
accordance with actual history is nevertheless 
very questionable. 

Many commentators again take ' Shiloh ? to be 
the name not of a town, but of a descendant of 
Judah, whom they identify with 'the Messiah', 
as ' the author of tranquillity and peace (7ibw)', 
and construe the passage ' until Shiloh shall 
come, and the obedience of the people shall be 

M5 



274 CHAPTER XLIX. (10). 

to hini' ; i. e. c until the people shall be in sub- 
mission to him' ; (in proof of which rendering, 
some of the Rabbins by their method K*1DD2 
have established an equation between the sums 
of the numbers corresponding to the letters of 
the two w^ords Tlb^ti and rwD respectively, both 
of which they make to be 358). Others take 
fhp to be a name of Solomon Titihu} (of the 
same signification), and construe the clause ' until 
Solomon shall appear' ; which does not accord 
w 7 ith actual history, since the separation of the 
ten tribes (if that be supposed to be alluded to) 
did not take place till his son's reign. 

Onkelos, as though adopting the punctuation 
rbw (w T hich in poetry is equivalent to )btii i. e. 
lV")^«), supplies after this word an ellipsis 
of DStfarr ' the right', (from Ezek. xxi. 32 where 
the parallel passage occurs BStP&n iVnttW tt£"13f) 
and translates the clause, 'until He comes to 
whom the right belongs, and to whom the people 
will be in submission'; i.e. 'the Messiah', or 
' David', or 'Solomon, as typical of the Messiah'. 
This rendering derives some probability from the 
passage quoted of Ezekiel ; but there are several 
objections to it, (l) the Rabbins are unanimous 
in favour of the punctuation Tibw; (2) the con- 



CHAPTER XLIX. (10). 275 

traction w for T^N belongs to a later period, 
(though it is thought by many commentators that 
an instance of it occurs in D|ttf3 ' inasmuch as', in 
Gen. vi. 3, where see the note) ; and (s) it would 
be strange that the form rfr should be used for 
)b when f? itself occurs in the very next clause. 

The version of the LXX. of this passage agrees 
nearly with that of Onkelos, and like it was pro- 
bably made before the insertion of the Yod in 

TwW VIZ. ecus av e\6r} to, aTroKeifxeva avrw, or, ac- 
cording to another reading, em av eXOp w ano- 
Keirat. The meaning of the first is, 'until the 
things reserved for him shall come (happen) to 
him, and the people shall be in submission to 
him', (where the tribe of Judah is the subject of 
the sentence, and referred to by both the pro- 
nominal affixes). The meaning of the latter 
reading is, 'until he shall come for whom it is 
reserved', i. e. ' to whom it of right belongs', as 
Onkelos has it. 

Finally, those who take W in this passage 
to be equivalent to tfbp in Deut. xxviii. 57, viz. 
' foetus' (secundina), and Ti to be the poetic form 
of i (as above), construe the clause, 'until his 
progeny (his destined offspring) shall come (i. e. 
be born)'; or (if *3 1? be rendered 'as long as'), 



276 CHAPTER XLIX. (io),(ii). 

4 as long as offspring shall come (i. e. be born) to 
him', i. e. 'as long as his posterity shall conti- 
nue', leaders and lawgivers, to whom the people 
shall be in submission, shall never cease to be 
born to him. This last rendering, which is not 
without some probability, is suggested among 
many others by Aben Ezra. 

U>foy_ JTTjT )b) The word mp\ occurs (in con- 
struction as here) in DNTinp^ Dtti (Pro v. xxx. 
17), 'et spernit obsequium matris', i.e. 'obse- 
quium matri prsestandum'. It is a noun derived 
from a root Tip* 1 which is probably identical with 
the Arabic <&j 'obedivit', 'paruit'. Some of the 
Rabbins derive it from nnp ' congregavit ' ; and 
accordingly the authorized version is ' to him 
shall be the gathering of the people'. 

(11) npj* 'binding'. The Yod is paragogic, 
as in "^pp and U?n'D Psal. cxiii. 7, 9, in ■gi in 
the next clause of the same verse, and in tybin 
in verse (12). 

Fhy ' his ass'. The n is substituted for 1 
these being commutable letters, a change fre- 
quent in Hebrew poetry. This verse predicts 
the abundance of vines and wine in the district 
of Judah, which was hilly and of a light soil 
peculiarly adapted to its growth and culture. 



CHAPTER XLIX. (u) (13). 277 

Vines should be so common that people would 
tie up their asses to them, not caring lest the 
animal should devour the grapes, and wine should 
so abound that people would wash their clothes 
in it. 

Hjpiitf means 'the choicest vine'; compare 
Isai. v. 2. 

nh^D is for in^Dp ' his covering', or e gar- 
ment', according to Aben Ezra. 

(12) The final Yod of <Won 'red' is para- 
gogic, as in npk in verse (11). 

Some would translate this verse ' redder than 
wine as to his eyes, and whiter than milk as to 
his teeth'. This is admissible, but it is more in 
accordance with the context to translate it, ' red 
with wine as to his eyes, and white with milk as 
to his teeth \ a poetical phrase expressing the 
abundance of wine and milk in the land of 
Judah. Both should so abound that the people 
should use them unsparingly or even to ex- 
cess. Compare the similar metaphor in the last 
verse. 

(13) D^tyirf? 'By the shore of seas'. The 
territory of Zebulon lay between the sea of Gali- 
lee and the Mediterranean sea. 

rfa& *))rb wm . ' and he is by the coasts of 



278 CHAPTER XLIX. (13H16). 

ships'. The preposition b expresses 'contiguity' 
here as in the last clause. 

irOTt ' and his side (the border of his terri- 

t :-: N 

torj) shall be by Zidon'. b% means here 'by', 
' close to', ' over against ', as in vbjj D^H? Gen. 
xviii. 2, and "by in Gen. xLviii. 7. ' The bound- 
aries' of countries are similarly called their 'sides' 
\na-WT in Jer. vi. 22. 

(14) ' Issachar is a sturdy ass 1 (literally ' an 
ass of bone') lying down between the two bor- 
ders', i.e. 'the two borders of his territory', so 
called from riSttf 'disposuit', 'fixit'. Compare 
DVrattf pi piSHM? D8 (Psal. Lxviii. 14), ' when ye 
shall lie between the two borders (of your terri- 
tory)' ; i. e. in peaceful security at the close of 
the war. Issachar's territory being much longer 
than it was broad, might be said to have ' two 
borders'. 

(15) 'So he inclined (i.e. 'yielded') his 
shoulder to bear [burdens], and became subject 
to tribute'. 

(16) 'Dan shall judge his people'. There is 
here an alliteration on the name ' Dan ' like that 
on ' Judah' above, and on 'Gad' below. 

' As one of the tribes of Israel'. It is pro- 
bably implied, ' Though he (Dan) be the son of 



CHAPTER XLIX. (i6)-(i 9 ). 279 

a handmaid'; Dan being the first of the hand- 
maid's sons mentioned in this blessing, Jacob 
perhaps intends thus to express with respect to 
all of them, that their posterity should not hold 
an inferior rank to those of their brethren not- 
withstanding the inferiority of their origin. 

(17) 'Dan shall be a serpent on the path, 
a crested snake on the way', &c. Jacob thus 
predicts the astute and warlike character of this 
tribe. 

(18) 'I wait for thy salvation, Jehovah!' 
This is an expression of pious resignation to the 
divine will, uttered by Jacob on his death-bed. 
It is remarkable that Jacob is here represented 
as using the name Jehovah in addressing the 
Almighty, although God afterwards says to Mo- 
ses (Exod. vi. 3), 'By my name Jehovah was I 
not known to them (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)'. 
We must conclude either that this verse is an in- 
terpolation in the text, or else that there is a 
slight inaccuracy, or rather an anticipation, in 
the sacred writer's thus attributing the use of 
the word Jehovah to one who was unacquainted 
with that name of the Deity. 

(19) 'Gad; a troop shall attack him, but he 
shall attack at last'; i.e. 'when enemies assail 



280 CHAPTER XLIX. (19H21). 

him he shall in the end repulse them and harass 
their flight'. See the note on xiiv. 4. 

Ij3£ may mean 'the heels of fugitives', or 'the 
rear of a retreating army', or, metaphorically, 
'afterwards', 'at last'. 

JJ3W and IX are both the third person sin- 
gular future Kal of Tp or TO the modification 
of the vowels in the former being occasioned by 
the pronominal affix. 

(20) 'From Asher (i. e. from the territory 
of Asher) comes his rich food', (i. e. the sump- 
tuous viands for which that tribe was celebrated), 
'and he (i. e. his territory) yields royal dainties'. 
Compare Deut. xxxiii. 24, where Moses in allu- 
sion to the rich and abundant produce of Asher's 
district says of him, "fen }DW1 bib 'he dips his 
foot in oil'. 

(21) 'Naphthali is a gazelle let loose; and 
[he is] one who gives utterance (or 'occasion') 
to graceful expressions'. The gazelle when at 
large is the most elegant of animals in its mo- 
tions. Some commentators suppose the latter 
clause of this verse to mean that ' the exploits of 
the tribe should give occasion to elegant enco- 
miums which should be pronounced in prose or 
verse; but it is most probable that ]f0 means 



CHAPTER XLIX. (21), (22). 281 

here 'to utter', 'to give utterance to\ Perhaps 
there were men in this tribe remarkable for elo- 
quence. Compare Deut. xxxiii. 23, where Naph- 
thali is called pin JDttf 'full of what is pleasing' 
or 'graceful'. 

The passage is irremediably obscure, and has 
been the subject of several attempts at emenda- 
tion, the results of which cannot be depended 
upon and are therefore unworthy of notice. 

Observe that jnijn must (agreeably with the 
above translation) refer to 'Naphthali', and not 
to rf? s N which is feminine. 

(22) ' Joseph is a son (i. e. branch) of a fruit- 
ful [tree], a son (i. e. branch) of a fruitful [tree] 
by a fountain, [whose] branches (daughters) grow 
up upon a wall'. 

]1 and TXQ3. are used here in exactly the 
same sense, the first, as applied to Joseph, being 
masculine. 

pnk is a feminine participle of »T12 ' fructuosa 
fuit', and is equivalent to rrns in Isai. xvii. 6. 

The 'fruitful tree' here intended is doubtless 
a vine, which was usually trained against houses, 
as appears from Psal. cxxviii. 3, 'a fruitful vine 
iT")S |23 on the sides of thy house' ; and an ellip- 
sis of )aa may be here supplied after nns 



282 CHAPTER XLIX. (22), (23). 

The plural nixi must here be taken collectively 
if, as above, it be construed with the verb sin- 
gular TV®$ or else this verb must be construed 
with thk thus, 'Joseph is a son of a fruitful 
[vine] by a fountain; that grows up as to [its] 
branches on a wall'. 

(23) ' and archers harassed him (or ' treated 
him with bitterness'), and shot, and pursued him 
with hatred'. 

With the use of the Pihel of T]D in this pas- 
sage in the sense ' to embitter the life of another', 
compare DiT*rrm rno?! in Exod. i. 14, ' They 
(the Egyptians) embittered their lives (those of 
the children of Israel) by hard bondage'. 

to'"") the third person plural preterite of 2T) 
means the same as }Dn (from HDi) viz., ' they 
shot', 'they discharged arrows', 'jaculati sunt', 
and is to be distinguished from to"i (from ill*")) 
6 numerosi erant'. This verb occurs in the same 
signification in 2"i O s jTto Psal. xviii. 15, ' fulgura 
jaculatur', and D^i"] 'jaculatores', Job xvi. 13, and 
Jer. l. 29. See the note on Hlh in Gen. xxi. 20, 
from rtan 'adolevit'. 

T T 

The use of hy% in the phrase D^n tyl 'archers', 
exactly corresponds with that of y in Arabic. 
Compare r\)bbr}n byi 'a dreamer', in Gen. xxxvii. 



CHAPTER XLIX. (23), (24). 283 

19, and nni ^4 'those in covenant with', in 
Gen. xiv. 13. 

The verb Dtpaf ' odio persecutus est' occurs 
again in Gen. xxvii. 41 and l. 15. 

(24) If the Vaw at the beginning of this 
verse be used in the same sense as in many other 
passages of this book (see Gen. xiiv. 4 and 
note), we may connect the last verse with this 
one, in the following manner ; ' and when archers 
assailed him and shot, and harassed him, his bow 
continued in strength, and the arms of his hands 
(i. e. 'of his strength'; see Gesenius in T) were 
vigorous (i.e. 'derived vigour') from the hands 
(i. e. strong aid) of the mighty [guardian] of Ja- 
cob; from thence [I say] (i. e. 'from Him'), 
[from] the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel'. 

The allusion here is evidently to the personal 
history of Joseph as typical of the future desti- 
nies of his posterity. 

If WT mean ' hands', it is clearly redundant 
in the phrase VT *jni which would then be equi- 
valent to yyh\ 'his arms'; but its meaning is 
probably the same as in Psal. Lxxvi. 6, viz., 
'strength'. 

The phrase afcjg TIN is found in Isai. lx. 16, 
as a name of God, ' the mighty [guardian] of Ja- 



284 CHAPTER XLIX. (24), (25). 

eoV ; and b&iW *T»1» occurs several times in 
^ .. T . . . _. 

Isaiah. Compare npgi SfgB *PP?b Psal. xxiv. 6, 
c those who seek thy face, [mighty one of] 
Jacob'; since there is probably an ellipsis of 
•Via before lpj£ 

The meaning of D^T in the phrase l£» *TD 
is either 'strength', as in the last clause, or 
'powerful aid', as in T rt|K (Deut; xxxii. 36), 
' evanuit auxilium'. 

Dt^D expresses a recurrence of the idea con- 
tained in the preceding clause, viz. 'from the 
hands of the mighty One of Jacob', 'from thence 
[I say], from the Shepherd', i.e. 'from His aid'; 
since before njp we may supply ]? 

ryh 'the Shepherd', a title of the Almighty; 
see the note on Gen. xLviii. 15, and compare 
Psal. xxiii. 1. 

^nttP:ll** 'the Rock (or 'stone') of Israel'. 
Compare Deut. xxxii. 4. "nan ' The Rock ! His 
work is perfect'. 

(25) This verse is closely connected with the 
preceding, and must be construed as a continua- 
tion of the same sentence with it, thus, 'JFrom 
thence [I say] thy arms were strengthened, [viz.] 
from [the aid of] the Shepherd, the rock of Is- 
rael ; from the God of thy father, who will help 



CHAPTER XLIX. (25), (26). 285 

thee, (literally 'since he will help thee', the «j 
being equivalent to ^J in Arabic) and from the 
Almighty who will bless thee [with] blessings of 
heaven from above, blessings of the deep that 
lieth beneath, blessings of the breasts and the 
womb', i. e. with every kind of increase and fer- 
tility. (Compare Deut. xxxiii. 13 — 16.) 

(26) ' The blessings [bestowed on thee] by 
thy father shall exceed the blessings [bestowed 
on me] by my parents (Hl'n), as far as the bounds 
of the everlasting hills (i. e. ' to an immeasurable 
degree'; or 'as long as the eternal hills shall 
last') ; they shall be on the head of Joseph'. 

Some commentators, disregarding the pause of 
the athnack, connect the two last clauses together 
thus, ' To the utmost duration of the eternal hills 
they shall be on the head of Joseph'. They 
quote as a parallel passage, ' The mountains shall 
depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness 
shall not depart from thee'. 

HWfi is derived from HNfi 'definivit', 'ter- 

t-: ~ T T 

minavit', (see Numb, xxxiv. 7) ; like rmo from 

T T 

The verb nnn 'concepit' like "fa 'genuit' is 
applied to both parents ; and its participle rrvin 
(of which *nin is the plural with the pronominal 



286 CHAPTER XLIX. (26), (27). 

affix of the first person) , means (as here) ' qui 
conceptum dat' ; 'genitor'. 

' They (the blessings) shall be on the crown 
of the head (comp. iipig by) IHNrQ Psal. vii. 17) 
of him who was separate (i.e. 'distinguished') 
among his brethren'; (if "TO be from in). By 
some Ttt is derived from ng ' diadema,' and trans- 
lated 'diademate insignitus' i. e. 'dignitate prse- 
stans'. Compare the Arabic b^\ \j 'litera- 
torum corona', i. e. prsecipuus. 

(27) 'Benjamin is a wolf that ravens (or 
* rends') that devours the prey in the morning and 
divides the spoil at even'; i. e. ' a bloodthirsty wolf 
who makes such havoc among the flocks that he 
has more prey than suffices him all day, and at 
even has so much left of what he has killed in the 
morning that he can divide it with others'. This 
expresses the warlike and predatory habits of 
the tribe and their success therein, ig is a rare 
word occurring also in Isai. xxxiii. 23, and Zeph. 
iii. 8, in the sense 'prey'. 



CHAPTER L. (3)-( x 5)- 287 

CHAPTER L. 

'The Egyptians mourned for him seventy 
days'. It is ascertained from the records in the 
Egyptian tombs, that the public mourning for an 
Egyptian king lasted seventy-two days. So that 
Jacob, as the father of Joseph the viceroy, was 
treated with almost regal honours. 

(5) It is remarkable that Jacob says here 
that he had caused his own tomb to be excavated 
for him during his life-time (when he dwelt at 
Hebron), just as the Egyptians used to do. Some 
of the Egyptian kings were occupied during many 
years in preparing their own sepulchres. 

(8) DSD 'their young children', ep is a 
noun of multitude; see chap. xLvii. 12. 

(9) D5"D3 'chariots as well as horsemen'; 
'not only horsemen but chariots' which it was 
unusual to take on so long a journey. 

nynfo 'a caravan', or 'company of travellers'; 
primarily ' an army'. See Gen. xxxii. 3. 

(15) *b seems to be here equivalent to ^in 
'perhaps'. 

ttgtpttP ' odio persequetur nos\ The same verb 
occurs in Gen. xiix. 23. 



288 CHAPTER L. (16X20). 

(16) W 'They commissioned [some one] to 
Joseph to say'. 

(17) N3N 'quseso\ 'obsecro', is sometimes 
written PtiN (with n), e. g. in Psal. cxvi. 4. 

SO Nttf 'forgive now', **&} 'to forgive' is 
sometimes construed immediately (as here) and 
sometimes mediately with b as in the next clause 
and in Gen. xviii. 24. 

bfil means here simply ' affecit injuria' ; not 
'rependit injuriam', which is its ordinary signifi- 
cation. 

(19) 'For am I in the place of God, (that you 
should dread my vengeance) ?' or, ' (that I should 
be able to alter what he has appointed) ? God 
sent me here to preserve your lives, and should 
I destroy them V Compare the use of the same 
phrase in Gen. xxx. 2, and 2 Kings v. 7 ; ' Am I 
God, to kill and to make alive ?' 

(20) ' Ye intended evil against me ; but God 
meant it (PTlttfn) for good'. 

run DV3 'On this day'; 'at this very time'; 
D being (here) a preposition of time equivalent 
to 'at' or 'on'. See the note on Gen. xviii. 
10. 



CHAPTER L. (2o)-(26). 289 

ayDV JWT6 Compare nib T\mrb Gen. 

XLV. 7. 

(21) D^r^ 11T ' He consoled them'. Com- 
pare Isai. xl. 2 and Gen. xxxiv. 3, where the 
same phrase occurs as synonymous with DPO 

(23) The word Dn2*6 ('of or 'with respect 
to Ephraim') is transposed with tfttfrtt? ^2 ' ab- 
nepotes', ' children of the third generation' ; 
'great-grandchildren'. Translate, 'Jacob saw 
his great-grandchildren on the side tf/'Ephrairn, 
and his grandchildren on that of Manasseh, who 
were born on his knees' ; i. e. ' were adopted by 
him immediately after their birth'. Compare 
*3"Va-^g lbr\ Gen. xxx. 3, 'she shall bear children 
on my knees', i. e. 'children whom I may adopt 
as soon as they are born'. 

(26) ub" Kimchi says that this is an ir- 
regular form of DttW 'he was put', like ijd^ for 
^W in Exod. xxx. 32; but Aben Ezra, with 
more probability derives it as the future active 
from a rare verb up* 1 of the same meaning as 
WW (like par; for pxp from p& in 1 Kings xxii. 35), 
and translates it, ' one put him ', i. e, ' they put 
him ', or ' he was put ', supplying before it the 
participle active of the same verb with the defi- 

N 



200 CHAPTER L. (26). 

nite article prefixed to it, just as *oipn is to be 
supplied with anpl in various passages of this 
book, and TJSH with "?jp in Gen. xlviii. 2, 
which are analogous to impersonal verbs. 



THE END. 












ERRATA. 




PAGE 




LINE 


FOB 


READ 


5 




10 


brooding 


mighty 


53 




14 


thee thy sons 


thee and after thy sons 


69 




18 


Midians 


Medians 


90 




7 


pitched 


remoyed 


191 




14 


fecisti 


fuisti 


10, 


note (24) 




1 


i 


23, 


note (20) 




frwrj 

I™ 




34 




6 


DIM 


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64 




10 


^W 


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t - : • 


119 




4 


♦rriny 


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136 




9 


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£ 


159 




22 


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T T 


165 




17 


DIM 

T T 


DIM 

T 


189 




18 


jn"TJN nitDB 


nto-iyi jhd*? 


200 




1 


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- T 


^J2 

T T 


206 




8 


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/vi*or£ 

t ■ : 


235 




22 


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241 




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254 




4 


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258 




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266 




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